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THE PULSE OF UPSC AT YOUR F INGER T IPS

O F F I C E R S ' P U L S EIssue no. 1  | 31st May to 6th June, 2020

C O V E R A G E .

A T A G L A N C E & I N D E P T H .

Polity and Social Issues

Economy

International Relations

Environment

Science and Tech

Culture

CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEKLY

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News @ a glance POLITY ............................................................... 3 1) PM CARES Fund............................................... 3 2) One Nation One Ration Card .......................... 4 3) Essential Commodities Act 1955 .................... 5 4) Ayushman Bharat Scheme .............................. 6 ENVIRONMENT ................................................. 8 1) Cyclones .......................................................... 8 2) Locust attack ................................................... 8 3) IMD ............................................................... 10 4) Pashmina Goats ............................................ 10 5) National Disaster Management Act .............. 11 6) #SaalBhar60 .................................................. 11 7) State of India's Environment 2020 in Figures 13 8) World Environment day 2020 ....................... 17 9) Sunderbans ................................................... 18 ECONOMY ........................................................ 18 1) Hike in MSP ................................................... 18 2) Rating agencies ............................................. 19 3) MSMEs definition .......................................... 20 4) Electronics manufacturing schemes ............. 21 5) Periodic Labour Force Survey ....................... 21 6) Foreign Portfolio Investment ........................ 22 7) Payment Infrastructure Development Fund . 23 8) Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code .................. 23 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ....................... 25 1) G7 Summit .................................................... 25 2) U.S. exit from WHO ....................................... 25 3) Hong Kong security law ................................ 26 4) Tiananmen Square Massacre ........................ 27 5) GAVI Alliance ................................................. 27 6) India-Australia virtual bilateral summit ........ 28 7) United Nations Security Council ................... 28 8) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor ............... 29 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ......................... 31 1) International Space Station (ISS) .................. 31

2) Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR) ............................................................... 33

3) Chitra Gene LAMP-N: new Covid-19 diagnostic test kit .......................................... 33

4) BHIM app and NPCI ....................................... 34 4) Darknet / Darkweb ........................................ 35 5) LiDAR ............................................................. 36 HEALTH ............................................................ 37 1) Superspreaders ............................................. 37 2) Coronavirus ................................................... 37 3) Hydroxychloroquine ...................................... 39 4) Remdesivir ..................................................... 40 5) Clade A3i ........................................................ 41 6) World Health organisation ............................ 41 ART & CULTURE ................................................. 42 1) Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural

Heritage (INTACH) ......................................... 42 2) Battle of Bhima Koregaon ............................. 42 3) Archaeological sites/monuments of Pakistan

Occupied Kashmir (PoK) ................................ 43 4) Saindhava empire .......................................... 45 PIB ANAYSIS ..................................................... 46 1) Jal Jeevan Mission ......................................... 46 2) Kisan Credit Card ........................................... 47 3) Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi

Pariyojana ...................................................... 47 4) TRIFED ........................................................... 48 5) Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port ...................... 48 6) Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian

Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) ........... 49 7) The Urban Learning Internship Program

(TULIP) ........................................................... 50 8) Atal Innovation Mission ................................ 51 9) Institute of Eminence .................................... 52

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News in Depth

AIR NEWS ......................................................... 53 1) Vande Bharat Mission ................................... 53 2) PM SVANIDHI ................................................ 53 3) SWADES initiative ......................................... 53 4) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural

Employment Guarantee Program ................. 54 THE HINDU EDITORIALS ................................ 55 1) Universal Basic Income and the need for it

now ............................................................... 55 2) Fortifying the Africa Outreach ...................... 55

3) World Health Organisation and India’s Policy approach ........................................................ 57

4) Free electricity to farm .................................. 57 5) Alternative Protein ........................................ 58 INDIAN EXPRESS EXPLAINED ........................ 60 1) India-China Border issues .............................. 60 2) Inner Line Permit and its CAA context ......... 61 3) Essential Commodities Act and need for its

amendment: .................................................. 62

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News @ a glance POLITY

1) PM CARES Fund GS-Paper 2: Transparency and

Accountability, Right To Information

What is PM CARES Fund? ▪ ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and

Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund)’ is a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected.

▪ Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund and Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance, Government of India are ex-officio Trustees of the Fund.

Key objectives : ▪ To undertake and support relief or

assistance of any kind relating to a public health emergency or any other kind of emergency, calamity or distress, either man-made or natural, including the creation or upgradation of healthcare or pharmaceutical facilities, other necessary infrastructure, funding relevant research or any other type of support.

▪ To render financial assistance, provide grants of payments of money or take such other steps as may be deemed necessary by the Board of Trustees to the affected population.

Tax and other Exemptions: ▪ Donations to PM CARES Fund would

qualify for 100% exemption under the Income Tax Act, 1961.

▪ Donations to the Fund will also qualify to be counted as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure under the Companies Act, 2013

▪ The term "Corporate Social Responsibility" in general can be referred to as a corporate initiative to assess and take responsibility for the company's effects on the environment and impact on social welfare. Few activities, which can be undertaken by a company under CSR include,

▪ Eradicating hunger, poverty & malnutrition, promoting preventive health care & sanitation & making available safe drinking water;

▪ Promoting education, including special education & employment enhancing vocational skills especially among children, women, elderly & the differently unable & livelihood enhancement projects;

▪ Employment enhancing vocational skills ▪ Protection of national heritage, art &

culture including restoration of buildings & sites of historical importance & works of art; setting up public libraries;

▪ promotion & development of traditional arts & handicrafts; etc..

▪ PM CARES Fund has also got exemption

under the FCRA and a separate account for receiving foreign donations has been opened. This enables PM CARES Fund to accept donations and contributions from individuals and organizations based in foreign countries.

▪ Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010

▪ Foreign funding of voluntary organizations in India is regulated under FCRA act and is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

▪ It regulates the acceptance and utilization of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality by certain individuals or associations or

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companies. ▪ The Acts ensures that the recipients of

foreign contributions adhere to the stated purpose for which such contribution has been obtained.

Why in News? ▪ The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has

refused to disclose details on the creation and operation of the PM CARES Fund, telling an RTI applicant that the fund is “not a public authority” within the ambit of the RTI Act, 2005.

About RTI Act 2005 ▪ The basic objective of the Right to

Information Act is to empower the citizens, promote transparency and accountability in the working of the Public Authorities, contain corruption, and make our democracy work for the people in real sense.

Key Sections of the Act: ▪ Section- 2 (h): "Public Authority" means

any authority or body or institution of self government established or constituted:

▪ By or under the Constitution, ▪ By any other law made by Parliament; ▪ By any other law made by the State

Legislature; ▪ By notification issued or order made by

the appropriate Government ▪ It also includes any: ▪ Body owned, controlled or substantially

financed; ▪ Non-Government Organisation

substantially financed directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government.

▪ Section 4(2) of the RTI Act mandates every public authority to provide as much information suo- motu to the public at regular intervals through various means of communications, including the Internet, so that the public need not resort to the use of RTI Act.

Section- 7 (1): Time limit for the supply of information

▪ In normal course, information to an applicant is to be supplied within 30 days from the receipt of application by the public authority.

▪ If information sought concerns the life or liberty of a person, it shall be supplied within 48 hours.

Section- 7 (8): Reason to rejection: ▪ Where a request has been rejected ,the

Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case may be, shall communicate to the person making the request,

▪ The reasons for such rejection; ▪ The period within which an appeal against

such rejection may be preferred; and ▪ The particulars of the Appellate

Authority.

Section 8 (1) :Exemptions against furnishing information under RTI Act.

▪ Section 8 (2) provides for disclosure of information exempted under Official Secrets Act, 1923 if larger public interest is served.

▪ Section- 24 (1): Non applicable to Intelligence and Security agencies:

▪ Nothing contained in this Act shall apply to the intelligence and security organisations specified in the Second Schedule, being organisations established by the Central Government or any information furnished by such organisations to that Government.

2) One Nation One Ration Card ▪ Gs Paper 2- Government policies and

interventions for development, Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections

What is a ration card? ▪ A ration card is issued to the head of the

family, depending on the number of members in a family and the financial status of the applicant.

▪ It is used by households to get essential food grains at subsidised prices from designated ration shops (also called fair price shops) under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).

▪ The responsibility of identifying eligible families and issuing ration cards to them rests with the state/UT government.

Background: ▪ PDS was started in India in 1947 to

distribute food items to the poor at

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subsidised rates. Later in 2013, it was revamped and strengthened with the enactment of the National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013.

▪ The National Food Security Act, 2013 was launched with the objective to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.

▪ The Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), thus covering about two-thirds of the population. The eligible persons will be entitled to receive 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person per month at subsidised prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.

▪ The Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, which constitute the poorest of the poor, will receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per household per month.

▪ Under NFSA, the government is obliged to give subsidised food grains every month to the beneficiaries identified by each state government on the basis of the economic status of households.

▪ Implemented in all states and Union Territories, PDS is currently covering about 81.35 crore persons identified by each state government via more than 5 Lakh ration shops across the country, as per the estimates of the Department of Food and Public Distribution.

What is the one ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ system?

▪ In the present system, a ration cardholder can buy food grains only from an FPS that has been assigned to her in the locality in which she lives.

▪ If a beneficiary were to shift to another state, he/she would need to apply for a new ration card in the second state.

▪ However, the migration of the poor from rural areas to urban locations is more commonplace.

▪ Thus, geographical location being one of the hindrances that migrant workers face in order to claim their quota of grains and

subsequently get denied their right to food.

▪ To address the state of food security in the country and combat the problem of hunger, the government has started the ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ facility.

Benefits of One Nation, One Ration Card ▪ The ONORC scheme attempts to address

this gap in TPDS delivery. ▪ The scheme has been launched keeping in

mind the internal migration of our country, since people keep moving to different states in search of better job opportunities and higher standards of living.

▪ As per Census 2011, 4.1 crore people were inter-state migrants and 1.4 crore people migrated (inter and intra-state) for employment.

▪ The new system, based on a technological solution, will identify a beneficiary through biometric authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices installed at the FPSs, and enable that person to purchase the quantity of food grains to which she is entitled under the NFSA.

Why in News? ▪ Three more states — Odisha, Sikkim and

Mizoram — have joined the ‘One Nation-One Ration Card’ scheme, taking the number of states and union territories which have joined the scheme to 20.

3) Essential Commodities Act 1955

Gs Paper 2- Government policies and interventions for development

About Commodities Act 1955: ▪ The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 was

enacted by Parliament to ensure the delivery of certain commodities or products, the supply of which may be obstructed due to hoarding or black marketing.

▪ The measures that can be taken under the provisions of the Act include licensing, distribution and imposing stock limits.

▪ The list of items under the Act includes drugs, fertilisers, pulses and edible oils, and petroleum and its products.

▪ The Centre can include new commodities as and when the need arises, and takes

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them off the list once the situation improves.

How does it work? ▪ If the Centre finds that a certain

commodity is in short supply and its price is spiking, it can notify stock-holding limits on it for a specified period.

▪ The States act on this notification to specify limits and take steps to ensure that these are adhered to.

▪ Anybody trading or dealing in a commodity, be it wholesalers, retailers or even importers are prevented from stockpiling it beyond a certain quantity.

▪ Also, the traders have to immediately sell into the market any stocks held beyond the mandated quantity.

▪ Thus, the Government has invoked the Act indefinite times to ensure adequate supplies and cracked down on hoarders and black-marketeers of such commodities.

Why in News? ▪ The Union Cabinet recently approved an

amendment to the Essential Commodities Act of 1955 to “deregulate” agricultural commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, onions and potatoes besides promulgating an ordinance to allow farmers to engage with processors, aggregators, large retailers, exporters.

4) Ayushman Bharat Scheme ▪ Gs Paper 2- Government policies and

interventions for development of health, Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections

About Ayushman Bharat ▪ Ayushman Bharat is an attempt to move

from sectoral and segmented approach of health service delivery to a comprehensive need-based health care service. Ayushman Bharat adopts a continuum of care approach, comprising of two interrelated components, which are -

▪ Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) ▪ Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-

JAY) Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) ▪ Health and Wellness Centers are

envisaged to deliver an expanded range of services to address the primary health care needs of the entire population in

their area, expanding access, universality and equity close to the community.

▪ The emphasis of health promotion and prevention is designed to bring focus on keeping people healthy by engaging and empowering individuals and communities to choose healthy behaviours and make changes that reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases and morbidities.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)

▪ Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is the largest health assurance scheme in the world which aims at providing a health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to over 10 crores poor and vulnerable families that form the bottom 40% of the Indian population.

▪ The households included are based on the deprivation and occupational criteria of Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) for rural and urban areas respectively.

▪ PM-JAY was earlier known as the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) .It subsumed the then existing Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) and the Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS).

Key Features : ▪ PM-JAY is the world’s largest health

insurance/ assurance scheme fully financed by the government.

▪ It provides a cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization across public and private empanelled hospitals in India.

▪ Over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable entitled families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) are eligible for these benefits.

▪ PM-JAY provides cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point of service, that is, the hospital.

▪ There is no restriction on the family size, age or gender.

▪ All pre–existing conditions are covered from day one.

▪ Benefits of the scheme are portable across the country i.e. a beneficiary can visit any empanelled public or private hospital in India to avail cashless treatment.

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▪ Public hospitals are reimbursed for the healthcare services at par with the private hospitals.

About National Health Authority (NHA): ▪ The National Health Authority (NHA) is

the apex agency of the Government of India responsible for the design, roll-out, implementation and management of Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PM JAY) across the country.

▪ NHA functions as an attached office of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is governed by a Governing board chaired by the Union Minister of Health & Family welfare and has 11 members.

▪ Inter-alia, its functions include formulation of PM JAY policies, development of operational guidelines, implementation mechanisms, and coordination with state governments, monitoring and oversight, among others.

Why in News? ▪ The Supreme Court asked the government

to respond to whether COVID-19 patients, who are not beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, can be treated in private hospitals at the same subsidised rates offered under the scheme.

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ENVIRONMENT

1) Cyclones About: ▪ Cyclones are any large system of winds

that circulates about a centre of low atmospheric pressure in a counter clockwise direction north of the Equator and in a clockwise direction to the south.

▪ Cyclonic winds move across nearly all regions of the Earth except the equatorial belt and are generally associated with rain or snow.

▪ It has a low pressure centre and clouds spiralling towards the eye wall surrounding the "eye", the central part of the system where the weather is normally calm and free of clouds. Its diameter is typically around 200 to 500 km, but can reach 1000 km.

▪ There are two types of cyclones, tropical cyclones and extratropical cyclones. Tropical cyclones are explained below.

▪ Tropical cyclone brings very violent winds, torrential rain, high waves and, in some cases, very destructive storm surges and coastal flooding.

▪ This weather phenomenon is named with different terms depending on the location.

▪ In the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the North Atlantic Ocean and the eastern and central North Pacific Ocean, such a weather phenomenon is called "hurricane"

▪ In the western North Pacific, it is called "typhoon"

▪ In the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, it is called "cyclone"

▪ In western South Pacific and southeast Indian Ocean, it is called “severe tropical cyclone”

▪ In the southwest Indian Ocean, it is called “tropical cyclone”

▪ Extratropical cyclones have their strongest winds near the tropopause, which is about 8 miles above the surface. These differences are due to the tropical cyclone being "warm-core" in the troposphere, whereas extra-tropical cyclones are "warm-core" in the stratosphere and "cold-core" in the

troposphere. They occur majorly in the mid-latitudes of the earth.

Conditions to form a tropical cyclone

▪ The conditions favourable for the formation and intensification of tropical storms are:

▪ Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C;

▪ Presence of the Coriolis force; ▪ Small variations in the vertical wind

speed; ▪ A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or

low-level-cyclonic circulation; ▪ Upper divergence above the sea level

system Why in the news? ▪ The cyclone Nisarga made landfall near

Mumbai. Facts about Arabian Sea Cyclones:

▪ The frequency of the tropical cyclones in the Arabian sea has been comparatively less when compared to that of Bay of Bengal. As per the scientists, this trend has been gradually changing.

▪ Also, the cyclones which are formed in the Arabian Sea side are far more weaker that those formed in the Bay of Bengal. The relatively cold waters of the Arabian Sea discourage the kind of very strong cyclones that are formed on the Bay of Bengal side.

▪ However, 2019 was slightly unusual as the Arabian Sea saw the most frequent and intense cyclonic activity in more than 100 years.

2) Locust attack About: ▪ Locusts are insects related to

grasshoppers, these insects form enormous swarms (dense group of flying insects) that spread across regions, devouring crops and leaving serious agricultural damage in their wake.

▪ They have big hind legs than grasshoppers which gives them greater thrust to hop and fly.

▪ They have two phases in life: solitary phase and gregarious phase.

▪ During dry spells, solitary locusts are forced together in the patchy areas of land

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with remaining vegetation, but when rains return—producing moist soil and abundant green plants—those environmental conditions create a perfect storm: Locusts begin to produce rapidly and become even more crowded together.

▪ In these circumstances, they shift completely from their solitary lifestyle to a group lifestyle in what’s called the gregarious phase. Locusts can even change color and body shape when they move into this phase. Their endurance increases and even their brains get larger.

▪ Locust swarms are typically in motion and can cover vast distances—some species may travel 130 km or more a day.

▪ There can be about 180 million locusts in a swarm.

▪ They travel during the day and rest in the night. But wherever they settle, they destroy every crop.

▪ Each locust can eat its weight in plants each day, so a swarm of such size would eat 423 million pounds of plants every day.

Prevention

▪ They can be controlled to certain extent by spraying pesticides.

▪ They can be threatened away by making loud sounds.

▪ They can be collected and can be used in the poultry industry as they are a good source of protein.

Why in the news?

▪ The states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are experiencing locust attack.

▪ These locust swarms have been travelling from African region, and entered Indian

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subcontinent because of favourable winds.

▪ Proper control of these swarms is necessary to avoid plagues caused by their destruction.

3) IMD About

▪ In the year 1875, the Government of India

established the India Meteorological Department, bringing all meteorological work in the country under a central authority.

▪ IMD is headquartered in New Delhi. At present IMD is under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

▪ IMD has continuously ventured into new areas of application and service, and steadily built upon its infra-structure in its history of 140 years. It has simultaneously nurtured the growth of meteorology and atmospheric science in India.

Functions: ▪ To take meteorological observations and

to provide current and forecast meteorological information for optimum operation of weather-sensitive activities like agriculture, irrigation, shipping, aviation, offshore oil explorations, etc.

▪ To warn against severe weather phenomena like tropical cyclones, norwesters, dust storms, heavy rains and

snow, cold and heat waves, etc., which cause destruction of life and property.

▪ To provide meteorological statistics required for agriculture, water resource management, industries, oil exploration and other nation-building activities.

▪ To conduct and promote research in meteorology and allied disciplines.

▪ To detect and locate earthquakes and to evaluate seismicity in different parts of the country for development projects

Why in the news?

▪ The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has scaled up its weather warning, issuing a red alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad in the wake of cyclone Nisarga.

4) Pashmina Goats About:

▪ The Changthangi goat,also known as

Pashmina goat or Changra goat, is an animal found in the cold, arid region surrounding Ladakh in Kashmir, India. The breed is raised mainly for it’s ultra-fine cashmere wool production.

▪ This cashmere wool is known as Pashmina once woven. The breed was also reared for meat production in the past. Changthangi goat is a cashmere goat, and this type of goat grows a thick, warm undercoat which is the source of Kashmir Pashmina wool. And the Kashmir Pashmina wool is considered as the world’s finest cashmere, measuring between 12-15 microns in fiber thickness.

▪ This wool is used for Kashmir's famous Pashmina Shawls. Shawls made from

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Pashmina wool are exported worldwide at a very high price and considered as the finest of its kind.

▪ The Changthangi goat is usually domesticated and raised by nomadic communities called the Changpa in the Changthang region of Greater Ladakh, Kashmir.

Why in the news?

▪ Due to the tussle between India- China in ladakh, the nomadic changpa community is not able to move for grazing.

▪ This has affected the pashmina goats. Timely survival is necessary for their survival.

▪ Lack of grazing has increased the mortality of newborn pashmina kids.

5) National Disaster Management Act

About: ▪ This Act was enacted in 2005 to provide

for the effective management of disasters and for matters connected with it.

▪ To deal with the purposes of this Act, an authority to be known as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was established.

▪ The following are members of NDMA

• the Prime Minister of India, who shall be the Chairperson of the National Authority,

▪ ex officio;

• other members, not exceeding nine, to be nominated by the Chairperson of the National

▪ Authority. ▪ (3) The Chairperson of the National

Authority may designate one of the members nominated to be the Vice-Chairperson of the National Authority.

Power and functions of National Authority ▪ The National Authority shall have the

responsibility for laying down the policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management for ensuring timely and effective response to disaster. It may:

▪ lay down policies on disaster management;

▪ approve the National Plan; ▪ approve plans prepared by the Ministries

or Departments of the Government of India in accordance with the National Plan;

▪ lay down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities in drawing up the State Plan;

▪ Lay down guidelines to be followed by the different Ministries or Departments of the Government of India for the purpose of integrating the measures for prevention of disaster or the mitigation of its effects in their development plans and projects;

▪ Coordinate the enforcement and implementation of the policy and plan for disaster management;

▪ Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation;

▪ Provide such support to other countries affected by major disasters as may be determined by the Central Government;

▪ Take such other measures for the prevention of disaster, or the mitigation, or preparedness and capacity building for dealing with the threatening disaster situation or disaster as it may consider necessary;

▪ Lay down broad policies and guidelines for the functioning of the National Institute of Disaster Management.

▪ The Chairperson of the National Authority shall, in the case of emergency, have power to exercise all or any of the powers of the National Authority but exercise of such powers shall be subject to ex post facto ratification by the National Authority.

▪ A National Executive committee will assist the National Authority in the performance of its functions. It includes Secretaries of concerned departments. They look after the formulation of the national plan and its execution and coordination from the concerned departments.

Why in the news? ▪ Opposition parties are demanding proper

use of national disaster management act to solve the migrant issues occurred due to COVID 19.

6) #SaalBhar60 About ▪ A new video by Jhatkaa.org, titled

#SaalBhar60, calls on citizens to participate in a nationwide digital movement on June 5, World Environment

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Day, by sharing photos from their city demanding “Clean Air for All.” A corresponding petition on the platform asks for the initiation of an autonomous “Clean Air Authority” who will solely be in-charge of reducing air pollution levels.

▪ The campaign demands that the Government put in place measures to ensure that the PM 2.5 levels in cities is 60 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3), which is the safe limit (for 24 hours) as prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

▪ This will ensure a safe and healthy environment as well as boost the fight against COVID-19 post lockdown.

▪ This campaign will help in better implementation of the National clean Air Programme undertaken by CPCB.

Jhatkaa.org

▪ Jhatkaa.org is a digital campaigning organisation committed to building grassroots citizen power across India in effective and innovative ways.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

About ▪ The Central Pollution Control Board

(CPCB), statutory organisation, was constituted in September, 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

▪ Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

▪ Principal functions of the CPCB, as spelt out in the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 are

▪ To promote cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States by prevention, control and abatement of water pollution, and

▪ To improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the country

National Clean Air Programme About ▪ It is a national-level strategy for reducing

the levels of air pollution at both the regional and urban scales.

▪ The following are the objectives of the NCAP

Tenure ▪ In its first mid-term five year action plan

with 2019 as base year it will be reviewed in 2024. It can be extended to 20-25 years in long term after mid-term outcomes.

Objectives: ▪ Stringent implementation of mitigation

measures for prevention, control management of air pollution.

▪ Augment and strengthen air quality monitoring networks across the country.

▪ Augment public awareness and capacity building measures.

Target

▪ National level target of 20-30% reduction of PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentration in at least 102 cities by 2024 (from 2017 level).

▪ Approach: ▪ Multi-sectoral and collaborative. ▪ Mainstreaming and integration into the

existing policies and programmes of Government of India including NAPCC.

▪ Use of Smart Cities framework to launch NCAP in the 43 smart cities falling in the list of 102 non-attainment cities.

IMPLEMENTATION OF NCAP ▪ The CPCB shall execute the nation-wide

programme for the prevention, control, and abatement of air pollution within the framework of the NCAP.

▪ The NCAP will be institutionalized by respective ministries and will be organized through inter-sectoral groups, which include, in addition to the related ministries, the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, NITI Aayog, CPCB, experts from the industry, academia, and civil society.

▪ The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) acts as a nodal agency for the implementation of various provisions on control of air pollution from vehicles through Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, and Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989

▪ The Apex Committee in the Ministry will periodically review the progress of these Components.

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7) State of India's Environment 2020 in Figures

About:

▪ This report was released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on World Environment day, 2020.

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▪ It discusses data on India’s environment and development. It displays subjects ranging from COVID-19 and pandemics, Development in the states, Migration and Climate Change. To Air Pollution, Forests and Wildlife, Employment, Waste and Housing.

Center for Science and Environment

▪ Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is a public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi.

▪ CSE researches into, lobbies for and communicates the urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable.

Why in the news?

▪ This report has given out comprehensive analysis of the ongoing problems faced by India and gives statistical e-compendium of India's stand.

▪ The following are mentioned statistics:

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8) World Environment day 2020 About: ▪ World Environment Day has been

celebrated since 1974 on June5, to mark the Conference on the Human Environment, or the Stockholm Conference, held from June 5-16.

▪ World Environment Day has helped UNEP to raise awareness and generate political momentum around growing concerns, such as the depletion of the ozone layer, toxic chemicals, desertification and global warming.

▪ The theme of World Environment 2020 is 'celebrating biodiversity' — a concern that is both urgent and existential. The fact is that the current environmental crisis is a warning that we must heed collectively. We must now fundamentally rethink our relationship with the living world, with natural ecosystems and their biodiversity.

▪ The day was hosted in Colombia in partnership with Germany.

Stockholm Conference

▪ United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, by name Stockholm Conference, the first United Nations (UN)

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conference that focused on international environmental issues.

▪ The conference, held in Stockholm, Sweden, from June 5 to 16, 1972, reflected a growing interest in conservation issues worldwide and laid the foundation for global environmental governance.

▪ The Stockholm Conference also led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in December 1972 to coordinate global efforts to promote sustainability and safeguard the natural environment.

9) Sunderbans About:

▪ The Sundarbans are a part of the world’s largest delta formed by the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna.

▪ Sunderban is a vast area covering 4262 square kms in India alone, with a larger portion in Bangladesh. 2585 sq. kms of the Indian Sundarban forms the largest Tiger Reserve and National Park in India. The total area of the Indian part of the Sundarban forest is about 4,262 sq km, of which 2,125 sq km is occupied by mangrove forest across 56 islands and the balance is under water.

▪ It got its name from one of the mangrove plants known as Sundari (Heritiera Minor).

▪ Four protected areas in the Sundarbans are enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, viz Sundarbans National Park, Sundarbans West, Sundarbans South and Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuaries.

▪ It is also a Ramsar site on the Indian side. ▪ The Sundarbans is of universal

importance for globally endangered species including the Royal Bengal Tiger, Ganges and Irawadi dolphins, estuarine crocodiles and the critically endangered endemic river terrapin (Batagur baska).

▪ It is the only mangrove habitat in the world for Royal Bengal Tiger.

Cyclone Amphan

▪ It is a super tropical cyclone which hit eastern India and Bangladesh in May 2020. It was the most devastating cyclone since Cyclone Sidr, which hit in 2007

Why in the news?

▪ 10% of the Sundarban Area in the Indian side has been destroyed by Cyclone Amphan, which hit the delta in May 2020.

ECONOMY1) Hike in MSP About MSP

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▪ Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market intervention by the Government to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices.

▪ The minimum support prices are announced by the Government at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

Significance ▪ MSPs are a guaranteed price for their

produce from the Government. The major objectives are to support the farmers from distress sales and to procure food grains for public distribution.

▪ In case the market price for the commodity falls below the announced minimum price due to bumper production and glut in the market, government agencies purchase the entire quantity offered by the farmers at the announced minimum price.

About CACP ▪ The Commission for Agricultural Costs &

Prices is an attached office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It came into existence in 1965.

▪ It is mandated to recommend MSPs to incentivize the cultivators to adopt modern technology, and raise productivity and overall grain production in line with the emerging demand patterns in the country.

▪ As of now, CACP recommends MSPs of 23 commodities, which comprise 7 cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl millet, barley and ragi), 5 pulses (gram, tur, moong, urad, lentil), 7 oilseeds (groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soyabean, seasmum, sunflower, safflower, niger seed), and 4 commercial crops (copra, sugarcane, cotton and raw jute).

▪ The CACP submits its recommendations to the government. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) makes a final decision on the level of MSPs and other recommendations made by the CACP.

Why in News? ▪ The Cabinet Committee on Economic

Affairs has approved an increase in the

MSPs for all mandated kharif crops, including paddy, pulses and cotton, for the 2020-21 marketing season.

▪ The increase in MSP for kharif crops is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSPs at a level of at least 1.5 times of the all-India weighted average cost of production, aiming at reasonably fair remuneration for the farmers.

How is the production cost arrived at? ▪ As per CACP, there are three definitions of

production cost which includes A2, A2+FL and C2.

1. A2 covers all paid-out expenses, including cash and in kind. It includes costs on seeds, chemicals, hired labour, irrigation, fertilisers and fuel.

2. A2+FL covers actual paid cost and also unpaid family labour.

3. C2 cost method is more comprehensive and makes the calculation by including a wider range of inputs. It includes actual paid out costs, imputed value of family labour, interest on the value of owned capital assets, rent paid for leased-in land and the rental value of owned land.

▪ Farmers have been demanding that MSP should be 1.5 times of C2. The National Commission on Farmers (NCF) headed by MS Swaminathan also recommended the C2 method to calculate MSP. However, at present, MSP is calculated based on the A2+FL method.

2) Rating agencies What is a Rating Agency? ▪ A rating agency is a company that

assesses the financial strength of companies and government entities, especially their ability to meet principal and interest payments on their debts.

▪ The rating shows an agency’s level of confidence that the borrower will honor its debt obligations as agreed. Each agency uses unique letter-based scores to indicate if a debt has a low or high default risk and the financial stability of its issuer.

▪ The debt issuers may be sovereign nations, local and state governments, special purpose institutions, companies, or non-profit organizations.

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How ratings affect the market? ▪ At the corporate level, companies

planning to issue a security must find a rating agency to rate their debt. Rating agencies such as Moody’s, Standards and Poor’s, and Fitch perform the rating service for a fee. Investors rely on the ratings to decide on whether to buy or not to buy a company’s securities.

▪ At the country level, investors rely on the ratings given by the credit rating agencies to make investment decisions. Many countries sell their securities in the international market, and a good credit rating can help them access high-value investors. A favorable rating may also attract other forms of investments like foreign direct investments to a country.

▪ A rating downgrade means that bonds issued by the governments are now “riskier” than before. Lower risk is better because it allows governments and companies of that country to raise debts at a lower rate of interest.

Why in News? ▪ Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”), a

leading rating agency, has downgraded the Government of India’s foreign-currency and local-currency long-term issuer ratings to “Baa3” from “Baa2”. It stated that the outlook remained “negative”.

What is the reason for this downgrade? ▪ There are four main reasons why Moody’s

has taken the decision. 1. Weak implementation of economic

reforms since 2017 2. Relatively low economic growth over a

sustained period 3. A significant deterioration in the fiscal

position of governments (central and state)

4. And the rising stress in India’s financial sector

▪ In November last year, Moody’s changed the outlook on India’s Baa2 rating to “negative” from “stable” precisely because these risks were increasing.

▪ Since many of the apprehensions that it had in November 2019 have come through, Moody’s has downgraded the rating to “Baa3” from “Baa2”, while maintaining the negative outlook.

What does “negative” outlook mean?

▪ The negative outlook reflects dominant, mutually-reinforcing, downside risks from deeper stresses in the economy and financial system that could lead to a more severe and prolonged erosion in fiscal strength than Moody’s current projects.

▪ In other words, a “negative” implies India could be rated down further.

3) MSMEs definition Background ▪ Recently, the government decided to

change the basic definition of MSME and also end the difference between the manufacturing and services sector.

▪ Till now, MSMEs are categorised based only on the investment in machinery or equipment. The new classification has raised the investment limit and included annual turnover as an additional criteria.

1. Accordingly, units having investment less than Rs 1 crore and turnover less than Rs 5 crore will be called Micro units.

2. Investment between Rs 1 and Rs 10 crore and turnover of Rs 5 crore to Rs 50 crore will be categorised as Small Enterprises.

3. Units having investment between Rs 10 crore but up to Rs 50 crore and turnover between Rs 50 crore and Rs 250 crore will now be known as Medium Enterprises.

Rationale for the move ▪ It has been a long-standing demand from

industry to hike the investment limits, as with inflation, units often cross the threshold that will bring them benefits. To prevent this, they either run their operations at a reduced level or incorporate multiple units so that turnover is distributed in a way that they remain within the threshold that will give them the benefits.

▪ With the revised definitions of MSMEs, they will not have to worry about growing their size and can still avail benefits.

Why in News? ▪ The Cabinet Committee on Economic

Affairs has approved the expanded definition of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that will include a higher investment limit and an additional norm based on turnover.

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4) Electronics manufacturing schemes

Background ▪ In March 2020, to boost large-scale

electronics manufacturing in India, the Union Cabinet approved three schemes with a total outlay of almost Rs 48,000 crore.

▪ The three schemes together will enable large-scale electronics manufacturing, a domestic supply chain ecosystem of components and a state-of-the-art infrastructure and common facilities for large anchor units and their supply chain partners.

▪ The schemes are expected to attract new investments worth at least Rs 50,000 crore in the sector, while generating more than five lakh direct and 15 lakh indirect jobs.

News in Detail ▪ The production-linked incentive

scheme aims to attract large investments in mobile phone manufacturing and specified electronic components. The scheme will offer an incentive of 4-6% on incremental sales of goods manufactured in India and is expected to create a total of 8 lakh jobs.

▪ The ‘Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronics Components and Semiconductors’ will give a financial incentive of 25% on capital expenditure for the identified list of electronic goods.

▪ The third scheme, Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) 2.0, aims at creating quality infrastructure with a minimum area of 200 acres along with industry-specific facilities such as common facility centres, ready-built factory sheds/ plug-and-play facilities. The scheme is expected to create about 10 lakh jobs.

Why in News? ▪ The government has unveiled the

guidelines for electronics manufacturing schemes.

5) Periodic Labour Force Survey About PLFS ▪ In India, the National Sample Survey

Organisation (NSSO) has been quinquennially collecting data on

employment and unemployment but from 2017 onwards, the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) was launched by the NSSO.

▪ It aimed to provide quarterly employment and unemployment data

▪ Under the PLFS, households are selected in both rural and urban areas by providing 75 per cent weightage to households where at least one member has secondary education (Class 10) or above.

▪ PLFS is India’s first computer-based survey which gives estimates of Key employment and unemployment Indicators like the Labour Force Participation Rates (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR), Unemployment Rate (UR), etc. These indicators are defined as follows:

1. Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in the labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population.

2. Worker Population Ratio (WPR): WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.

3. Unemployment Rate (UR): UR is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force.

4. Activity Status- Usual Status: The activity status of a person is determined on the basis of the activities pursued by the person during the specified reference period. When the activity status is determined on the basis of the reference period of the last 365 days preceding the date of survey, it is known as the usual activity status of the person.

5. Activity Status- Current Weekly Status (CWS): The activity status determined on the basis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of survey is known as the current weekly status (CWS) of the person.

▪ The PLFS also gives the distribution of educated and unemployed people, which in turn can be used as a basis for skilling of youth to make them more employable by industry.

Objective of PLFS ▪ The objective of PLFS is primarily

twofold:

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o to estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the Current Weekly Status (CWS)

o to estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both Usual status and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.

Why in News? ▪ National Sample Survey Organisation has

released the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey.

Highlights of the report ▪ India’s unemployment rate improved

from the 45-year high of 6.1% in 2017-18 to 5.8% in 2018-19. The report shows the dip came across all categories, though women and rural workers showed the most improvement.

▪ Women’s unemployment fell from 5.7% to 5.2%, while male unemployment only fell from 6.2% to 6%. Urban unemployment was still at a high of 7.7% in 2018-19, a marginal drop from 7.8% in 2017-18, while rural unemployment fell from 5.3% to 5%.

▪ The labour force participation rate also improved marginally, from 36.9% in 2017-18 to 37.5% in 2018-19.

▪ The female participation rate improved in both urban and rural India during the period under review, going up to 18.6% in 2018-19 from 17.5% the year before.

▪ The worker population ratio also increased to 35.3 per cent from 36.9 per cent during 2017-18.

▪ Experts feel it would be a challenge to retain the falling trend in unemployment rate in 2019-20, which has witnessed a long nationwide lockdown between March and June to prevent the spread of Covid-19, resulting in job losses across sectors.

6) Foreign Portfolio Investment

What is Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)?

▪ It is the investment made by a person or a company in one country into businesses located in another country.

▪ Generally, FDI takes place when an investor establishes foreign business operations or acquires foreign business assets.

What is Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI)?

▪ It is similar to FDI but here, the investor holds only passive financial assets of a foreign company.

▪ The investor may simply hold equities or securities of foreign-based companies.

Key differences ▪ FDI involves establishing a direct

business interest in a foreign country, while FPI refers to investing in financial assets such as stocks or bonds in a foreign country.

▪ FDI usually aims to take control of the company in which investment is made whereas FPI aims to reap profits by investing in shares and bonds of the invested entity without taking part in management of the company.

▪ FPI can enter the stock market easily and also withdraw from it easily. For this reason FPI is also known as hot money, as the investors have the liberty to sell it and take it back. But FDI cannot enter and exit that easily. This difference is what makes nations prefer FDIs more than FPIs as FDIs are more stable.

▪ In India, according to the SEBI (FPI) Regulations, 2014, a particular foreign institutional investor is allowed to invest upto 10% of the paid up capital of a company, which implies that any investment above 10% will be construed as FDI.

Why in News? ▪ In just under a week in June, foreign

portfolio investors have bought shares worth nearly Rs 21,000 crore in the Indian capital markets.

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▪ This is the highest in any month of 2020, with the previous high registered in May at Rs 14,569 crore.

7) Payment Infrastructure Development Fund

What’s in the news? ▪ The RBI has created a Payment

Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) with a corpus of Rs 500 crore, with an aim to give a push to digital payments.

▪ The RBI has made an initial contribution of Rs 250 crore covering half the fund. The remaining will come from the card-issuing banks and card networks operating in the country.

Need for the fund ▪ This fund has been created to encourage

acquirers to deploy Point of Sale (PoS) infrastructure, both physical and digital, in tier-3 to tier-6 centres and north eastern states.

▪ A POS terminal is an electronic device used to process card payments at retail locations.

▪ Given the high cost of merchant acquisition, most of the POS terminals in the country are concentrated in tier 1 and 2 cities and towns and other regions have been left out.

▪ This move will make the economics more favourable and will significantly increase the merchant base accepting digital payments.

News in detail ▪ The dedicated fund for deepening digital

payments infrastructure will receive recurring contributions to cover operational expenses from card issuing banks and card networks and the central bank will also contribute to yearly shortfalls, if necessary.

▪ The fund will be governed through an advisory council but it will be managed and administered by the RBI.

▪ The enhanced ability of PoS infrastructure is supposed to reduce demand for cash over time.

Committee on deepening digital payments ▪ The setting up of PIDF is in line with the

recommendations of the report of the committee on deepening digital payments, chaired by Nandan Nilekani.

▪ The report had also made the case for an Acceptance development fund which will be used to develop card acceptance infrastructure across small towns and cities.

8) Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) ▪ The Code creates time-bound processes

for insolvency resolution of companies and individuals. These processes will be completed within 180 days (unless extended by a onetime extendable period of 90 days). If insolvency cannot be resolved, the assets of the borrower may be sold to repay creditors (known as liquidation).

▪ The resolution processes are conducted by licensed insolvency professionals (IPs). These IPs are members of insolvency professional agencies (IPAs).

▪ Information utilities (IUs) are established to collect, collate and disseminate financial information to facilitate insolvency resolution.

▪ The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) adjudicates insolvency resolution for companies and Limited Liability Partnerships. The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) adjudicates insolvency resolution for individuals and partnership firms.

▪ The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) regulates the functioning of IPs, IPAs and IUs.

▪ IBC was later amended with the provision to bar promoters from bidding for their own companies. It prevented defaulters from regaining control of their companies at a cheaper value.

▪ The code was again amended in 2019 which mandates a deadline for the completion of the resolution process within 330 days, including all litigation and judicial processes.

Why in News? ▪ The government has promulgated an

ordinance to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code whereby fresh insolvency proceedings will not be initiated for at least six months starting from March 25 (the day when the

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nationwide lockdown) amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

▪ The move is expected to provide relief for corporates as the pandemic and

subsequent lockdown had significantly impacted economic activities.

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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1) G7 Summit About G7 ▪ The Group of Seven (G7) is a collective of

seven of the world's most industrialized and developed economies. Their political leaders come together annually to discuss important global economic, political, social and security issues.

▪ The G7 member countries are the United States, Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Italy, and Canada.

▪ Russia belonged to the forum from 1998 through 2014, when the bloc was known as the G8, but was suspended following its annexation of Crimea.

▪ India is not a member of the G-7 grouping.

Why in News? ▪ U.S. President Donald Trump announced

that he would postpone the G7 summit that he wanted to hold in late June and expand the list of countries invited to

include Australia, Russia, South Korea and India.

▪ He said the G7 in its current format is a very outdated group of countries which does not properly represent what's going on in the world.

2) U.S. exit from WHO About WHO ▪ The World Health Organization is a

specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) established in 1948 to further international cooperation for improved public health conditions.

▪ It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

▪ Working with 194 Member States (including India), its stated goal is to ensure "the highest attainable level of health for all people".

WHO funding ▪ It is funded by a large number of

countries, philanthropic organisations, United Nations organisations etc.

▪ Voluntary donations from member states contribute 35.41%, assessed contributions (dues countries pay in order to be a member of WHO) are 15.66%, philanthropic organisations account for 9.33%, UN organisations contribute about 8.1%; the rest comes from myriad sources.

▪ Countries decide how much they pay and may also choose not to.

▪ The US contributes almost 15% of the WHO’s total funding and almost 31% of the member states’ donations. India contributes 1% of member states’ donations.

Why in News? ▪ United States President Donald Trump

announced that his country would terminate its relationship with the World Health Organization, after weeks of accusing the agency of helping the Chinese government cover up the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

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▪ He accused the WHO of refusing to act on the reforms requested by the United States.

▪ The US is the largest source of financial support for the WHO, and its exit is expected to significantly weaken the organisation.

3) Hong Kong security law Hong Kong and China relationship ▪ Hong Kong, a former British colony, was

returned to the People's Republic of China in 1997 under a policy known as “one

country, two systems,” which promised the territory a high degree of autonomy.

▪ As a Special Administrative Region (SAR), Hong Kong allows freedoms not enjoyed in mainland China, including freedom to protest and an independent judiciary.

▪ But that autonomy, guaranteed under a mini-constitution known as the Basic Law, expires in 2047. The joint signed declaration does not state what will happen in 2047 after that agreement officially ends.

Location

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▪ Located on the southeast coast of China,

Hong Kong's strategic location on the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea has made it one of the world's most thriving and cosmopolitan cities.

Controversial law ▪ Recently, China’s Parliament passed a

new legislation for Hong Kong that will for the first time empower China to draft national security laws for the Special Administrative Region.

▪ Many sections in Hong Kong are protesting against the law who fear that it could be the biggest blow to the territory’s autonomy and personal freedoms since 1997 when it came under Chinese rule.

▪ However, China has sought the support and understanding of India and other countries for its new legislation, saying the new legislation is aimed at containing the secessionist forces in Hong Kong.

▪ India has not made a statement on the matter.

Why in News? ▪ Nepal has endorsed China's new

controversial law on Hong Kong saying that Hong Kong is an internal matter of China.

4) Tiananmen Square Massacre What is it? ▪ The Tiananmen Square protests were

student-led demonstrations calling for democracy, free speech and a free press in China.

▪ They were halted in a bloody crackdown, known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, by the Chinese government on June 4 and 5, 1989.

▪ At the end of June 1989, the Chinese government said 200 civilians and several dozen security personnel had died. Other estimates have ranged from hundreds to many thousands.

▪ The image of an unidentified man standing alone in defiance and blocking a column of Chinese tanks on June 5 became the defining image of the protests.

Why in News? ▪ Thousands of Hong Kongers defied a

police ban to gather in the city and mark

the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

▪ Commemorating this massacre is forbidden in mainland China.

5) GAVI Alliance About GAVI Alliance ▪ The GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global

Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) is a global health partnership of public and private sector organizations dedicated to “immunisation for all”.

▪ GAVI’s strategy supports its mission to save children’s lives and protect people’s health by increasing access to immunisation in poor countries.

▪ Its partners provide funding for vaccines and intellectual resources for care advancement. They contribute, also, to strengthening the capacity of the health system to deliver immunisation and other health services in a sustainable manner.

Why in News? ▪ Prime Minister Narendra Modi

participated in the virtual Global Vaccine Summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and pledged $15 million to the Gavi alliance.

Significance ▪ The conference was organised to urge

nations around the world to pledge funding for vaccinations to save millions of lives and protect the world from future outbreaks of infectious diseases.

▪ As the world focuses on tackling coronavirus, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi have warned that the pandemic is disrupting routine immunisation, affecting approximately 80 million children under the age of one across 68 countries.

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▪ The Prime Minister said India stands in solidarity with the world in these challenging times and India’s civilisation teaches to see the world as one family.

▪ He further said that India is also the World’s foremost producer of vaccines and that it is fortunate to contribute to the immunization of about 60 percent of the World’s children.

6) India-Australia virtual bilateral summit

What’s in the news? ▪ Prime Minister Modi and his Australian

counterpart PM Scott Morrison took part in the first-ever virtual bilateral summit between the leaders of the two countries.

▪ During the summit India and Australia concluded several key agreements including a Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA).

MLSA ▪ Under MLSA, the two countries’ militaries

can use each other's bases to carry out repair and replenishment of supplies besides allowing for scaling up of overall defence ties.

▪ India already has similar agreements with the US, France and Singapore.

Other important agreements ▪ The two countries also agreed to increase

the frequency of meetings between the two Prime Ministers, and took the “2+2” format of bilateral meetings to the level of Foreign and Defence Ministers, who will meet to discuss strategic issues at least every two years.

▪ Other agreements announced included a framework arrangement on cyber technology, an MoU on cooperation in the field of mining and processing of critical and strategic minerals. India plans to import strategic minerals from Australia while diversifying supplies beyond China.

▪ The two sides also decided to recommence suspended talks over the India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), suspended since 2015 after nine inconclusive rounds of negotiations.

Comprehensive Strategic Partnership ▪ During the summit, the two countries

raised their relationship to a

“Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” (CSP).

▪ The relationship between the two nations was upgraded to a ‘Strategic Partnership’ level in 2009. Since then, both countries have expanded their cooperation in a range of key areas.

▪ India has signed CSPs with the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the United Arab Emirates thus far.

▪ The CSP would raise the level of trust required to improve the trade and investment flows between India and Australia.

7) United Nations Security Council

About UNSC ▪ The United Nations Security Council

(UNSC) was established in 1946 as one of the six principal organs of the UN. It is generally viewed as the apex of the UN system.

▪ It is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security.

▪ Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions.

▪ It is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

Membership ▪ UNSC consists of 15 Members and each

member has one vote. ▪ The council has five permanent

members (P-5) United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France.

▪ These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolutions, including those on the admission of new member states.

▪ The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis. Each year the 193-member UN General Assembly (UNGA) elects five non-permanent members for a two-year term.

▪ The body's presidency rotates monthly among its members.

India’s non-permanent member seat

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▪ Last year, India's candidature for a non-permanent seat at the UNSC for a two-year term (starting from 2021) was unanimously endorsed by the 55-member Asia-Pacific grouping at the United Nations.

▪ Thus, India is guaranteed a place in the UNSC as it is the sole candidate for Asia-Pacific, but needs two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly to vote in its favour in a secret ballot scheduled for June 17 in New York.

▪ India has already held a non-permanent seat on the UNSC for seven terms.

Why in News? ▪ External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar

recently said that India will highlight international terrorism, United Nations reforms and Security Council expansion, streamlining the world body’s peacekeeping operations and technology initiatives during its upcoming tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC in 2021-22.

▪ He added that India’s overall objective during this tenure in the UN Security Council will be the achievement of N.O.R.M.S: a New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System.

▪ The government launched its plan for the UNSC seat as far back as 2013 with a keen eye on 2021, the year that will mark its 75th year of Independence.

8) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

What is the CPEC project? ▪ China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

refers to a clutch of major infrastructure works currently under way in Pakistan, intended to link Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang province to Gwadar deep sea port close to Pakistan’s border with Iran.

▪ Several other road, rail and power projects are associated with the corridor, and the project seeks to expand and upgrade infrastructure across the length and breadth of Pakistan, and to widen and deepen economic ties with China.

▪ The CPEC was launched in 2015 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pakistan and it now envisages investment of over USD 60 billion in different projects of development in Pakistan.

Significance ▪ The goal of CPEC is both to transform

Pakistan’s economy—by modernizing its road, rail, air, and energy transportation systems—and to connect the deep-sea Pakistani ports of Gwadar and Karachi to China’s Xinjiang province and beyond by overland routes.

▪ This would reduce the time and cost of transporting goods and energy such as natural gas to China by circumventing the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea.

▪ The CPEC project is also strategically important for China. Currently, eighty percent of China’s oil has to pass through the Strait of Malacca, a narrow stretch of water between the Indonesian island of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. In the event of a conflict, the Malacca Strait

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could easily be blocked by a rival nation, cutting off China from crucial energy resources. CPEC allows China to circumvent the Strait of Malacca and reduce its dependency on the strait.

▪ CPEC is part of the larger Belt and Road Initiative—to improve connectivity, trade, communication, and cooperation between the countries of Eurasia—announced by China in 2013.

India’s position on CPEC ▪ India has been opposing the project as it

passes through Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which New Delhi considers its own territory.

▪ India claims that the CPEC project encroaches on sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.

Why in News? ▪ China has announced that under the

multi-billion-dollar CPEC it will set up a 1,124-megawatt power project- Kohala hydropower project- in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir despite India's objection to it.

▪ The project will be built on the Jhelum River and aims at annually providing more than five billion units of clean and low-cost electricity for consumers in Pakistan.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1) International Space Station (ISS)

GS 3: Science and Technology GS 3: Awareness in the fields of Science

and Technology About the International Space Station (ISS) ▪ The International Space Station (ISS) is

the largest single structure humans ever put into space.

▪ Its main construction was completed between 1998 and 2011, although the station continually evolves to include new missions and experiments.

▪ It has been continuously occupied since Nov. 2, 2000.

▪ The space station is parked at Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at approximately 350 km above the Earth.

▪ The ISS makes multiple orbits around the Earth every day.

▪ The ISS includes contributions from 15 nations. NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia) and the European Space Agency are the major partners of the space station who contribute most of the funding; the other partners are the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

▪ The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and other fields.

▪ Astronauts spend most of their time on the ISS performing experiments and maintenance. Sometimes, this requires that they venture on spacewalks to perform repairs.

▪ The station is divided into two sections, the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS), which is operated by Russia, and the United States Orbital Segment (USOS), which is shared by many nations.

Types of Orbits around the earth

Geostationary Orbit (GEO) ▪ The circular orbit at an altitude of

35768 Kms above the equator of the Earth which follows the direction of rotation of the Earth is known as geostationary orbit.

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▪ A satellite in a geostationary orbit appears to be in a fixed position to an earth-based observer.

▪ A geostationary satellite revolves around the earth at a constant speed once per day over the equator 1.e., zero inclination with respect to the equator.

▪ The geostationary orbit is useful for communications applications because ground based antennas, which must be directed toward the satellite, can operate effectively without the need for expensive equipment to track the satellite’s motion.

Geosynchronous Orbit ▪ The orbit around the Earth with an orbit

period equal to one sidereal day (i.e. 23 Hrs, 56 minutes, 4 seconds) is known as geosynchronous orbit.

▪ The word "synchronous" means an object in this orbit returns to the same position after a period of 1 sidereal day to the observer on the Earth's surface.

▪ Geosynchronous satellites have an inclination with respect to the equator.

Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) ▪ MEO is the region of space around the

Earth above low Earth orbit and below geostationary orbit.

▪ The most common use for satellites in this region is for navigation, such as the GPS (with an altitude of 20,200·kilometres), Glonass and Galileo constellations.

▪ Communications satellites that cover the North and South Pole are also put in MEO.

▪ The orbital·periods of MEO satellites range from about 2 to 24 hours.

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) ▪ LEO is typically a circular orbit about 400

to 900 kilometres above the earth’s surface and, correspondingly, has a much shorter period (time to revolve around the earth) of about 90 minutes.

▪ Low earth orbiting satellites are less expensive to launch into orbit than geostationary satellites and, due to proximity to the ground, do not require as high a signal strength.

Polar Orbits ▪ Polar orbits are useful for spacecraft that

carry out mapping or surveillance operations.

▪ A satellite in polar orbit goes around the Earth from pole to pole.

▪ The planet spins underneath it as the satellite goes from north to south.

▪ This gives the spacecraft access to virtually every point on the surface.

Why in News? ▪ SpaceX in association with NASA launched

its Crew Dragon capsule on top of its Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station (ISS).

More in News ▪ The mission is ‘historic’ because this is the

first-ever time that a private spacecraft company — Space X — used its own rocket to put humans into space.

▪ The mission is expected to last 30-90 days, following which the two astronauts will depart from the International Space Station by boarding the Crew Dragon.

▪ This is the first time that astronauts have been launched from US soil since the STS-135 mission on July 8, 2011, following which all astronauts were flown to the International Space Station in Russia’s Soyuz Capsule.

What is Falcon 9? ▪ Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket

designed and manufactured by SpaceX for

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the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond.

▪ Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital class

reusable rocket. Orbital class rockets are those that put a spacecraft/satellite in an orbit around the Earth.

▪ Reusability allows SpaceX to re-fly the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn drives down the cost of space access.

2) Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR)

GS 3: Science and Technology About real-time PCR ▪ A real-time polymerase chain reaction

(real-time PCR), also known as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), is a laboratory technique of molecular biology based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

▪ It monitors the amplification of a targeted DNA molecule during the PCR (i.e., in real time), not at its end, as in conventional PCR.

Applications

▪ It is commonly used for both diagnostic and basic research.

▪ Uses of the technique in industry include the quantification of microbial load in foods or on vegetable matter, the detection of GMOs (Genetically modified organisms) and the quantification and genotyping of human viral pathogens.

▪ Diagnostic qualitative PCR is applied to rapidly detect nucleic acids that are diagnostic of, for example, infectious diseases, cancer and genetic abnormalities.

Why in News? ▪ It is the most reliable diagnostic test

available for Covid-19.

3) Chitra Gene LAMP-N: new Covid-19 diagnostic test kit

GS 3: Science and Technology GS 3: Indigenization of technology and

developing new technology Why in News? ▪ The Tata Sons has entered into an

agreement with the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, for commercial production of COVID-19 testing kits.

More in News ▪ The SCTIMST is an Institute of National

Importance under the Department of Sciences and Technology (DST), Government of India.

▪ Institute of National Importance (INI) is a status that may be conferred on a premier public higher education institution in India by an act of Parliament of India, an institution which "serves as a pivotal player in developing highly skilled personnel within the specified region of the country/state".

▪ Institutes of National Importance receive special recognition and funding from the Government of India.

▪ The kits will be based on RT-LAMP (Reverse Transcriptase Loop-Mediated Amplification) technology named as ‘Chitra Gene LAMP-N’ test.

More about Chitra GeneLAMP-N ▪ The Chitra technology uses a method

called Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP).

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▪ The objective, like that of the gold-standard RT-PCR tests, is the same: to detect the presence of viral RNA.

▪ The LAMP method is said to be faster but is a relatively newer technology, more complicated in its design and has not been tested extensively for COVID-19 detection.

▪ The Chitra test could potentially speed up the testing of a batch of suspected COVID-19 samples by 15 times and cut costs by two-thirds.

4) BHIM app and NPCI GS 3: Science and Technology,

Indigenization of technology and developing new technology

What is BHIM UPI? ▪ Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) is an

initiative to enable fast, secure, reliable cashless payments through mobile phones.

▪ It enables to bring in Financial Inclusion to the nation and a digitally empowered society.

▪ BHIM is based on Unified Payment Interface (UPI) to facilitate e-payments directly through banks without the need of any e-wallets.

▪ It is interoperable with other Unified Payment Interface (UPI) applications, and bank accounts.

▪ Unified Payment Interface(UPI) is an instant payment system built over the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) infrastructure and allows users to instantly transfer money between any two bank accounts.

▪ BHIM is developed by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI).

Features of BHIM ▪ Money can be sent using a Virtual

Payment Address (VPA), Mobile number, Account Number & IFSC, Aadhaar Number or QR code.

▪ The users can link multiple bank accounts; they can check balances, make utility payments (like electricity, water, etc.,) and make commercial transactions.

▪ Currently BHIM is available in 13 languages, i.e., Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Odia, Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi, Assamese and Bengali.

▪ Smartphone and the internet are not necessary for using BHIM UPI services (not the app).

▪ There are no transaction charges for using BHIM UPI.

About NPCI ▪ National Payments Corporation of India

(NPCI) is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India.

▪ It is an initiative of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, for creating a robust Payment & Settlement Infrastructure in India.

▪ It has been incorporated as a “Not for Profit” Company under the provisions of the Companies Act 1956.

▪ The Company is focused on bringing innovations in the retail payment systems through the use of technology for achieving greater efficiency in operations and widening the reach of payment systems.

Important products/services of NPCI RuPay ▪ RuPay is an Indigenously developed

Payment System – designed to meet the expectation and needs of the Indian consumer, banks and merchant ecosystem.

▪ RuPay supports the issuance of debit, credit and prepaid cards by banks in India and thereby supporting the growth of retail electronic payments in India.

IMPS ▪ Immediate Payment Service (IMPS)

provides robust & real time fund transfer which offers an instant, 24X7, interbank electronic fund transfer service that could be accessed on multiple channels like Mobile, Internet, ATM, SMS, Branch and USSD(*99#).

▪ IMPS is an emphatic service which allows transferring of funds instantly within banks across India which is not only safe but also economical.

NFS ▪ National Financial Switch (NFS) is the

largest network of shared Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in India facilitating interoperable cash withdrawal, card to card funds transfer

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and interoperable cash deposit transactions among other value added services in the country.

NETC ▪ National Electronic Toll Collection

(NETC) program to meet the electronic tolling requirements of the Indian market.

▪ It provides an electronic payment facility to customers to make the payments at national, state and city toll plazas by identifying the vehicle uniquely through a FASTag.

FASTag ▪ FASTag are Radio-Frequency

Identification (RFID) stickers which are affixed on the vehicle windshield and enable the driver to make toll payments electronically while the vehicle is in motion without stopping at the Toll plazas by saving Fuel and Time.

NACH ▪ National Automated Clearing House

(NACH) is an offline web based system for bulk push and pull transactions.

▪ NACH provides an electronic mandate platform to register mandates facilitating paper less collection processes for the corporates and banks.

▪ It provides for both account based and Aadhaar based transactions.

AePS ▪ Aadhaar enabled Payment

System(AePS) is a bank led model which allows online interoperable financial inclusion transactions at ‘Point of Sale’- PoS (MicroATM) through the Business Correspondent of any bank using the Aadhaar authentication.

▪ The only inputs required for a customer to do a transaction under this scenario are: Aadhaar Number and Fingerprint.

▪ Banking Correspondents (BCs) are individuals/entities engaged by a bank in India (commercial banks, Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Local Area Banks (LABs)) for providing banking services in unbanked / under-banked geographical territories.

▪ A banking correspondent works as an agent of the bank and substitutes for the brick and mortar branch of the bank.

Why in News? ▪ Following a report by security

researchers alleging leak of personal data

of millions of users of the BHIM payment application due to a website breach, the NPCI has denied the claim.

4) Darknet / Darkweb GS 3: Awareness in the fields of Science

and Technology, Cybersecurity What Is the DarkNet? ▪ The "dark net," also known as the "dark

web," is a network of secret websites built over the internet which is encrypted.

▪ These are networks that are only available to a select group of people and not to the general internet public, and only accessible via authorization, specific software and configurations.

▪ They are not searchable by traditional means, such as a search engine, and it's not visible through traditional web browsers.

▪ It needs special browsers like TOR (The Onion Router), Freenet or I2P.

▪ Darknet provides anonymity to the users. Concerns about DarkNet ▪ The dark net is most often used for

illegal activities such as black markets, illegal file sharing, and the exchanging of illegal goods or services (including stolen financial and private data).

▪ The anonymity of DarkNet attracted the criminal element to it such as drug-dealers, hackers, arms dealers and child pornography peddlers.

▪ Here they are free to conduct their business and express themselves without fear of repercussion.

▪ It is becoming a huge cyber security nightmare to governments and businesses all over the world.

DarkNet vs. Deep Web ▪ The terms "darknet" and "deep web" are

occasionally used interchangeably. However, this is not correct.

▪ The dark net is part of the greater deep web which are purposefully hidden from the surface net by additional means.

▪ The deep web encompasses all unindexed sites, which are unsearchable that don't pop up when you do an Internet search.

▪ Not all activities associated with the deep web are nefarious.

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▪ In most cases, these pages are not searchable through traditional channels because they are password-protected and require specific tools or authorization (like a log-in) in order to access them.

▪ Personal email, online banking, and other similar sites are included under the umbrella of the "deep web."

Why in News? ▪ A fresh instance of Indians’ data being

leaked on the dark net has come to light, with a massive data packet — nearly 100 gigabytes in size — being put up for sale in the dark web market.

More in the News ▪ The data comprises scanned identity

documents of over 1 lakh Indians, including passports, PAN cards, Aadhar cards, voter IDs and driver’s licenses.

▪ The data was found by Cyble, a global cyber intelligence agency which has also found several other such instances in the recent past, including a massive packet of data of Indian job seekers from across the country.

5) LiDAR GS 3: Science and Technology What is LiDAR? ▪ Lidar, which stands for Light Detection

and Ranging, is a remote sensing method.

▪ Remote sensing is the process of detecting and monitoring the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance (typically from satellite or aircraft).

▪ It uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.

▪ These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system— generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.

▪ A lidar instrument principally consists of a laser, a scanner, and a specialized GPS receiver.

▪ Airplanes and helicopters are the most commonly used platforms for acquiring lidar data over broad areas.

▪ Two types of lidar are topographic and bathymetric.

▪ Topographic lidar typically uses a near-infrared laser to map the land, while bathymetric lidar uses water-penetrating green light to also measure seafloor and riverbed elevations.

Applications ▪ Lidar systems allow scientists and

mapping professionals to examine both natural and manmade environments with accuracy, precision, and flexibility.

▪ It is commonly used by geologists and surveyors to make high-resolution maps.

▪ Besides, it is used in a wide range of land management and planning efforts, including hazard assessment (including lava flows, landslides, tsunamis, and floods), forestry, agriculture, geologic mapping, etc.

Why in News? ▪ A U.K. based team of archaeologists

carried on their research on ancient Roman sites from being at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic by using data collected through LiDAR.

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HEALTH 1) Superspreaders What are superspreaders? ▪ The term "super-spreader" implies that a

particular person may be inherently more able than others to pass on disease.

Factors responsible for the spread: ▪ The spread of a virus like the new

coronavirus depends on a range of environmental and epidemiological factors that ultimately lead to transmission in individual cases or clusters.

▪ These include the patient and what stage of disease they are in, their behaviour, their environment, and the amount of time spent in that environment.

Why in the news? ▪ Studies have found that novel coronavirus

is associated with super spreading events. News in detail: ▪ Three separate studies using very

different methods and patient cohorts have found that a small percentage of people who have been infected with novel coronavirus account for a large proportion of novel coronavirus spread, much above the expected average.

▪ These are called “superspreading events” (SSEs).

Reproduction number and dispersion factor:

▪ The number of people an infected person can spread the virus to, is called the reproduction number or R0.

▪ In real life, some people infect many others and others don’t spread the disease at all and hence the dispersion factor plays a role here.

▪ The lower the dispersion factor is, the more transmission comes from a small number of people.

SARS-CoV -2 and MERS superspreaders: ▪ SARS-CoV-2, with a basic reproductive

number (the number of people an infected person can infect) of around three, more than eight or 10 secondary cases have been suggested to constitute a superspreading event.

▪ For MERS, superspreading events have reportedly involved up to 82 secondary cases.

2) Coronavirus About the virus ▪ Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of

viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

▪ The virus is named after its shape which takes the form of a crown with protrusions around it and hence is known as coronavirus.

About SARS ▪ SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory

Syndrome) coronavirus (SARS-CoV) – virus identified in 2003.

▪ SARS-CoV is thought to be an animal virus from an as-yet-uncertain animal reservoir, perhaps bats, that spread to other animals (civet cats) and first infected humans in the Guangdong province of southern China in 2002.

▪ Transmission of SARS-CoV is primarily from person to person.

▪ Symptoms are influenza-like and include fever, malaise, myalgia, headache, diarrhoea, and shivering (rigors).

▪ No vaccines or Prophylaxis (prevention of disease) treatment available.

▪ WHO estimates that the case fatality ratio of SARS ranges from 0% to 50% depending on the age group affected, with an overall estimate of case fatality of 14% to 15%.

About MERS ▪ Middle East respiratory syndrome

(MERS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS‐CoV) that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

▪ Typical MERS symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Pneumonia is common, but not always present.

▪ Approximately 35% of reported patients with MERS-CoV infection have died.

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▪ MERS-CoV is a zoonotic virus, which means it is a virus that is transmitted between animals and people.

▪ Studies have shown that humans are infected through direct or indirect contact with infected dromedary camels.

▪ No vaccine or specific treatment is currently available, however several MERS-CoV specific vaccines and treatments are in development.

About novel coronavirus: ▪ A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new

strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

▪ COVID-19 is a term coined by the World Health Organization (WHO) to denote the disease that has led to a pandemic.

o Coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19, where CO stands for corona, VI for virus, and D for disease, while the numerals – 19 refer to the year in which the first case was detected.

▪ The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) announced “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)” as the name of the new virus

o This name was chosen because the virus is genetically related to the coronavirus responsible for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak of 2003.

Structure of SARS COV-2: ▪ Like other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 virus

particles are spherical and have mushroom-shaped proteins called spikes protruding from their surface, giving the particles a crown-like appearance.

▪ The spike binds and fuses to human cells, allowing the virus to gain entry.

▪ Like SARS coronavirus, the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 that causes Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) binds to the cellular receptor called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which serves as the entry point into human cells.

▪ But unlike in the case of SARS, the spike protein of the novel coronavirus binds to the cell receptor with much higher affinity — 10- to 20-fold higher.

How does it spread?

▪ Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.

▪ Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans.

▪ The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes

Symptoms of infection ▪ Common signs of infection include

respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

▪ In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Necessary Precautions ▪ Standard recommendations to prevent

infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs.

▪ Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

COVID related terminologies:

Epidemic ▪ When the incidence of a disease rises

above the expected level in a particular community or geographic area, it is called an epidemic.

Pandemic ▪ A pandemic is defined as an epidemic

occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people.

▪ On January 30, WHO announced that COVID-19 was a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

▪ On March 11, WHO decided to announce COVID-19 as a pandemic.

▪ COVID-19 is the first pandemic caused by a coronavirus.

R0 ▪ R-Naught (R0) is the basic reproduction

number. ▪ This is the number of new infections

caused by one infected individual in an entirely susceptible population.

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▪ It helps determine whether an epidemic can occur, the rate of growth of the epidemic, the size of the epidemic and the level of effort needed to control the infection.

▪ If R0 is 2, then one individual will infect two others.

▪ As of end May, India’s R0 value was in the range of 1.22.

Community transmission ▪ When you can no longer tell how

someone contracted the disease, or who the source of infection was.

Cytokine storm ▪ An immune reaction triggered by the

body to fight an infection is known as a cytokine storm when it turns severe.

▪ The body releases too many cytokines, proteins that are involved in immunomodulation, into the blood too quickly.

▪ While normally they regulate immune responses, in this case they cause harm and can even cause death.

▪ These cytokines dilate blood vessels, increase the temperature and heartbeat, besides throwing blood clots in the system, and suppressing oxygen utilisation.

▪ If the cytokine flow is high and continues without cessation, the body’s own immune response will lead to hypoxia, insufficient oxygen to the body, multi-organ failure and death.

Herd immunity ▪ Herd immunity is the indirect protection

from a contagious infectious disease that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection.

Why in the news? ▪ The number of people infected with SARS

COV-2 pandemic is increasing day by day all over the world.

3) Hydroxychloroquine About Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) ▪ Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an

antimalarial drug similar to chloroquine, one of the oldest and best-known anti-malarial drugs.

Mechanism of action: ▪ Hydroxychloroquine is an interferon

blocker, and works by diminishing the

immune system's response to a viral infection.

▪ This property of HCQ makes it useful in autoimmune disorders such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

What are interferons? ▪ Interferons (IFNs) are a group of soluble

glycoproteins that are produced and released from cells in response to virus infection

Hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19: ▪ A hyperactive response by the immune

system is said to be primarily responsible for pneumonia, also a fallout of a severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.

▪ Since it has the ability to diminish the immune system’s response to a viral infection it seems to be effective incase of COVID-19 patients.

▪ The drug has shown to have shortened the time to clinical recovery of COVID-19 patients.

▪ A study in France enrolling 80 patients and a study in Wuhan,the epicentre of outbreak, showed that Hydroxychloroquine alone or in combination with azithromycin appeared to reduce virus levels quicker.

▪ It's primarily these results that have prompted drug regulators in several countries including India to approve the drug in restricted settings.

Adverse effects of HCQ: 1) cardiac arrhythmia 2) liver damage 3) its ability to tune down the body's

immune response. Hydroxychloroquine and India: ▪ The Indian Council for Medical

Research (ICMR) has cleared HCQ to be used as a prophylaxis, or preventive medication, by doctors, nurses and other health staff.

▪ The Union Health Ministry moved it to Schedule H1 list of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) recently, which can be sold on prescription only.

▪ According to Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) secretary-general India produces 70 per cent of the world’s supply of Hydroxychloroquine, making it the biggest manufacturer.

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▪ The country has a production capacity of 40 tonnes of HCQ every month, implying 20 crore tablets of 200 mg each.

▪ India gets the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) that is used to manufacture HCQ from China and supplies so far have been steady.

Why in the news? ▪ ICMR researchers say that

Hydroxychloroquine with Personal Protective Equipment reduces the odds of COVID-19 in health workers.

About ICMR: ▪ The Indian Council of Medical Research

(ICMR) in New Delhi is the apex body for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, in India

▪ It is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world.

Background: ▪ In 1911, the Government of India set up the

Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA) with the specific objective of sponsoring and coordinating medical research in the country. It was redesignated in 1949 as the ICMR with a considerably expanded scope of functions.

Funded by: ▪ The ICMR is funded by the Government of

India through the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Research priorities: ▪ The Council's research priorities coincide

with the National health priorities, such as:

▪ control and management of communicable diseases,

▪ fertility control, ▪ maternal and child health, ▪ control of nutritional disorders, ▪ developing alternative strategies for health

care delivery, ▪ containment within safety limits of

environmental and occupational health problems;

▪ research on major non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, blindness, diabetes and other metabolic and haematological disorders; and

▪ mental health research and drug research

(including traditional remedies). ▪ § All these efforts are undertaken with a

view to reduce the total burden of disease and to promote health and well-being of the population.

▪ § In addition to research activities, the ICMR encourages human resource development in biomedical research through various fellowship programmes.

4) Remdesivir ▪ Remdesivir is an investigational broad-

spectrum antiviral drug that has demonstrated activity against RNA viruses in several families, including

o Coronaviridae(such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and strains of bat coronaviruses capable of infecting human respiratory epithelial cells)

o Paramyxoviridae (such as Nipah virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and Hendra virus)

o Filoviridae (such as Ebola virus). Mechanism of action: ▪ Remdesivir is a nucleoside analog that is

expected to inhibit the action of RNA polymerase.

▪ By incorporating into RNA, additional nucleotides cannot be added, terminating RNA transcription.

About RNA Polymerase: ▪ RNA polymerase synthesizes RNA by

following a strand of DNA. ▪ RNA polymerase is an enzyme that is

responsible for copying a DNA sequence into an RNA sequence, during the process of transcription.

RNA transcription: ▪ Transcription is the process in which a

gene's DNA sequence is copied (transcribed) to make an RNA molecule.

▪ RNA polymerase is the main transcription enzyme.

Why in the news?

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▪ Union Health Ministry has cleared Remdesivir for treatment of COVID-19 patients under emergency use.

5) Clade A3i About clad A3i: ▪ Scientists have identified a distinct trait in

the coronavirus found in the people infected in the country, mostly in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Telangana.

▪ They have named this unique cluster of virus population as ‘Clade A3i’ .

Why in the news? ▪ Scientists at multiple Council of Scientific

and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratories have identified a coronavirus type that may be the second most prevalent in India and may comprise 3.5% of the genomes globally.

News in detail: ▪ Of 361 genomes analysed, 45% of them

were A2a making it the most dominant coronavirus clade in India.

▪ The newly identified clade A3i, comprising 41% of those analysed, is the second most dominant clade.

▪ With the new clade, there are 11 SARS-CoV-2 types identified globally with at least six of them identified in India.

▪ According to scientific analysis, the A3i clade mutates slowly compared to the A2a which is often disadvantageous for the virus.

▪ So far, there is no evidence of whether A3i is more virulent that it’s linked to more deaths.

Coronavirus clade: ▪ The coronavirus type, or clade, is a cluster

of SARS-CoV-2 viruses that share evolutionary similarities and are grouped together based on characteristic mutations or similarities in parts of their genomes.

Significance of such classification: ▪ Classifications are useful in establishing

whether o certain strains are particularly virulent o spread more easily o how they are likely to evolve over time

and o whether some could be less vulnerable

to certain kinds of vaccines.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research: ▪ Council of Scientific & Industrial

Research (CSIR), India was constituted in 1942 as an autonomous body under the provision of the Registration of Societies Act XXI of 1860.

▪ CSIR is the largest research and development organisation in India.

▪ It is known for its cutting edge research and development knowledge base in diverse science and technology areas.

6) World Health organisation About: ▪ WHO the United Nations’ specialized

agency for Health came into force on 7 April 1948 , a date we now celebrate every year as World Health Day.

▪ There are 194 Member States, 150 country offices, six regional offices.

▪ It has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

▪ The primary role of WHO is to direct and coordinate international health within the United Nations system

▪ The objective of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.

Main functions ▪ To act as a directing and coordinating

authority on international health work ▪ To ensure valid and productive technical

cooperation, and ▪ To promote research. ▪ To provide assistance to the

Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services.

▪ To promote cooperation among scientific and professional groups which contribute to the advancement of health.

▪ WHO also proposes conventions, agreements, and regulations and makes recommendations about international nomenclature of diseases, causes of death, and public health practices.

▪ It develops, establishes, and promotes international standards concerning foods and biological, pharmaceutical, and similar substances.

Why in the news? ▪ The World Health Organisation said that

clinical trials of the drug hydroxychloroquine will resume.

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ART & CULTURE 1) Indian National Trust for Art

and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)

GS 1: Art Forms, Indian culture About INTACH ▪ The Indian National Trust for Art and

Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was founded in 1984 in New Delhi with the vision to spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India.

▪ It is a non-profit charitable organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.

▪ INTACH’s mission to conserve heritage is based on the belief that living in harmony with heritage enhances the quality of life, and it is the duty of every citizen of India as laid down in the Constitution of India.

▪ Among the tasks undertaken by INTACH are restoration of monuments and their management; advocacy for heritage property conservation; public awareness.

2) Battle of Bhima Koregaon GS 1: Modern Indian history: significant

events What happened at the Battle of Bhima

Koregaon? ▪ A small village in Pune district of

Maharashtra, Bhima-Koregaon, named after river Bhima, is associated with an important phase of Maratha history.

▪ In the battle of Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 1818, the British, with just 834 infantrymen — about 500 of them from the Mahar community (dalit) — and 12 officers defeated the 28,000-strong army of Peshwa Bajirao II.

▪ It was one of the last battles of the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-18), which ended the Peshwa domination.

Symbol of dalit emancipation ▪ The battle attained a legendary stature for

Dalits, who consider the win as a victory of the Mahars against the injustices perpetrated by the Peshwas.

▪ A pillar, known as Vijay Sthamb (victory pillar), was installed by the East India Company (EIC) in memory of those who fought for them in the battle.

▪ It is at this pillar that thousands of Dalits come to pay respect every year on January 1.

▪ Babasaheb Ambedkar’s visit to the site on January 1, 1927, revitalised the memory of the battle for the Dalit community, making it a rallying point and an assertion of pride.

▪ The Marathas advocate a nationalism point of view for the battle in which a native kingdom stood against the British colonialism.

▪ Thus the two communities are at the opposite sides of the divide even after 200 years in commemorating the battle.

Why in News? ▪ The incident has been in news repeatedly

for more than two years due to ongoing judicial cases regarding a violence that broke out during the commemoration of the battle in 2018.

Bhima Koregaon violence ▪ 2018 marked the 200th year of battle and

hence there was a larger gathering at Bhima Koregaon as compared to previous years.

▪ During the celebrations there were violent clashes between Dalit and Maratha groups.

▪ Tensions had started simmering on December 29, 2017, the day Govind Gopal Mahar's memorial, in nearby village Vadhu Budruk, was found desecrated. The incident found mention in the Elgar Parishad, a big public conference organised by Dalit and Bahujan groups on December 31, 2017.

▪ Police have alleged that inflammatory speeches were made in the event and that led to the violence next day (January 1, 2018).

▪ Govind Gopal Mahar is believed to have performed the last rites of Sambhaji, the eldest son of the Maratha ruler Shivaji in 1689 against the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb.

▪ However, the Marathas refuse to acknowledge the role played by Govind Mahar.

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3) Archaeological sites/monuments of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)

GS 1: Art Forms, Architecture Kargah Buddha

▪ Located off Gilgit, this seventh-century

archaeological site comprises a carved image of a large standing Buddha on the cliff in Karghah Nala.

▪ From the 3rd century to the 11th century, Gilgit was a Buddhist centre.

▪ A few metres away, a Buddhist monastery and three stupas containing Sanskrit manuscripts were also found during an excavation in 1931.

Ali Baig gurdwara

▪ A popular place of worship for Sikhs in Ali

Baig village, the gurdwara was turned into the Muhammad Yaqoob Shaheed High School for Girls, as per a report by

Pakistani archaeologists during a 2014 study.

Fountains and Gardens of Khuiratta ▪ Khuiratta and its surrounding areas are

very popular among local tourists, with the shrine of Mai Totti Sahiba a venue for an annual three-day fair.

▪ People from Kotli and other adjoining districts attend the festival in spring to watch sports, animal parades and horticultural displays.

▪ The area has a number of natural springs and waterfalls.

▪ It is believed to have been an important place of worship for Hindus during ancient times.

Red Fort, Muzaffarabad

▪ Known among the locals as Rutta Qila or

just qila, this site in Muzaffarabad was built by the Chak rulers, who anticipated threat to the city from the Mughals.

▪ The construction began in 1559. However, the Mughals annexed Kashmir in 1587, and the fort lost its importance.

▪ Later, its construction was completed in 1646 by Muzaffar Khan of the Bomba Dynasty, the founder of Muzaffarabad.

▪ Its architecture shows great craftsmanship, but most of the fort’s relics were stolen and a large portion was destroyed during the 2005 earthquake.

Ramkot Fort ▪ It is located on a hilltop on the banks of

the Mangla Dam lake. ▪ The three sides of the hilltop are

surrounded by the Jhelum River, which

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falls into the huge reservoir of Mangla Dam.

▪ It was built in the 16-17th century by a Gakhar named Toglu as recorded by traveller and geologist Frederick Drew in his book.

▪ Gakhars were a clan from the region

renowned for their skill in building forts and fortified cities.

Sharada Peeth

▪ The much-revered Hindu temple, located

in the Neelum Valley, is an ancient centre of learning dedicated to the Hindu goddess Sharada.

▪ There used to be an annual pilgrimage by Kashmiri Pandits to Sharada Peeth, but it was stopped after Independence.

▪ The temple-university played a key role in the popularisation of the Sharada script in North India, and Kashmir was

sometimes called Sharada Desh because of its influence as a centre of learning.

▪ Its origins are uncertain — while some historians believe it was built under the Kushan Empire in the first century, others say it was built by Lalitaditya of the Karkota dynasty.

Sharada script ▪ It is a writing system used for the

Kashmiri language by the educated Hindu minority in Kashmir and the surrounding valleys.

▪ It is taught in the Hindu schools there but is not used in printing books.

▪ Originating in the 8th century AD, Sarada descended from the Gupta script of North India, from which Devanāgarī also developed.

▪ The earliest inscriptions in Sarada script, found in Kashmir and northeastern Punjab, are dated AD 804.

Why in News? ▪ India has reacted strongly to reports of

vandalism and defacement of ancient Buddhist rock carvings in Gilgit-Baltistan under Pakistan’s control.

More in the News ▪ The incident has brought focus on the

priceless Buddhist heritage of Gilgit-Baltistan found in the rock carvings and engravings especially in areas like Hunza which were part of the Buddhist circle covering Ladakh and Tibet.

▪ The engravings have been in the news recently also because of the Diamar-Bhasha hydro power project that the Chinese and the Pakistani companies will construct nearby.

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4) Saindhava empire GS 1: Architecture About ▪ The Saindhavas, also known as

Jayadrathas, ruled western Saurashtra (now in Gujarat) from around 735 CE to 920 CE.

▪ Their capital was at Bhutamabilika (now Ghumli).

▪ The known historical events during their rule are the attacks of Arabs repulsed by Agguka I.

▪ Their notable constructions are Hindu monastery (mathika) at Ghumli and temples dedicated to Surya, Shiva and Shakti (Goddess) at Suvarnamanjari.

Why in News? ▪ There was a proposal by an archaeologist

to use LiDAR technology to explore the Saurashtra temple city named Ghumli, the capital of the Saindhava empire.

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PIB ANAYSIS

1) Jal Jeevan Mission Gs Paper 2- Government policies and

interventions for development,Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections

About Jal Jeevan Mission ▪ Jal Jeevan Mission is envisioned to

provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.

▪ The programme will also implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting. The Jal Jeevan Mission will be based on a community approach to water .

▪ This Mission is under the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Key Objectives of the Mission are: ▪ To provide Functional Tap Connection

(FHTC) to every rural household. ▪ To prioritize provision of FHTCs in

quality affected areas, villages in drought prone and desert areas, Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) villages, etc.

▪ To provide functional tap connection to Schools, Anganwadi centres, GP buildings, Health centres, wellness centres and community buildings.

▪ To monitor functionality of tap connections.

▪ To promote and ensure voluntary ownership among the local community by way of contribution in cash, kind and/ or labour and voluntary labour (shramdaan).

▪ To bring awareness on various aspects and significance of safe drinking water .

The institutional mechanism under JJM:

▪ National level

▪ National Jal Jeevan Mission

▪ State level ▪ State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM)

▪ District level

▪ District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM)

▪ Gram Panchayat level

▪ Paani Samiti/ Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/ User group

Funding Pattern under JJM: ▪ The fund sharing pattern between Centre

and State is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 100 percent for UTs and 50:50 for rest of the States.

Positive Outcomes of JJM: ▪ JJM would ensure functional household

tap connection to every rural household where there is a demand and people aspire for household piped water supply.

▪ It will significantly improve quality of life, particularly of women and children.

▪ It will assist in ODF-sustainability as water is important to sustain Swachh Bharat Mission’s gains.

▪ In the rural areas, for developing in-village water supply infrastructure, water resource management, source strengthening/ augmentation, distribution network, treatment plants, etc., unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled human resources will be required.

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▪ Further there will be procurement of various materials for water supply systems. This will generate employment and boost the economy.

Why in News? ▪ Assam plans to provide functional tap

connections to 13 lakh rural households in 2020-21 under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

2) Kisan Credit Card

Gs Paper 3 - Agriculture ,Farm Subsidies

About the Scheme ▪ The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme was

launched in 1998 with the aim of providing short-term formal credit to farmers.

▪ The beneficiaries under the scheme will be issued with a Smart card/ Debit card.

▪ Under the KCC Scheme, a flexible limit of Rs.10,000 to Rs.50,000 has been provided to marginal farmers (as Flexi KCC) based on the land holding and crops grown.

Objective / Purpose ▪ The scheme aims at providing adequate

and timely credit support from the banking system under a single window with flexible and simplified procedure to the farmers for their cultivation and other needs as indicated below:

▪ To meet the short term credit requirements for cultivation of crops;

▪ Post-harvest expenses; ▪ Produce marketing loan; ▪ Consumption requirements of farmer

household; ▪ Working capital for maintenance of farm

assets and activities allied to agriculture; ▪ Investment credit requirement for

agriculture and allied activities. Eligibility: ▪ Farmers - individual/joint borrowers who

are owner cultivators; ▪ Tenant farmers, oral lessees &

sharecroppers; ▪ Self Help Groups (SHGs) or Joint Liability

Groups (JLGs) of farmers including tenant farmers, sharecroppers etc.

Why in News? ▪ The Government will provide Kisan Credit

Card (KCC) to 1.5 crore dairy farmers

belonging to Milk Unions and Milk producing Companies under a special drive.

Note:

▪ In 2019, KCC was extended to farmers who are involved in activities related to animal husbandry and fisheries.

3) Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana

Gs Paper 2- Government policies and interventions for development of health

About PMBJP ▪ Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi

Pariyojana (PMBJP) is a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses.

▪ PMBJP stores have been set up to provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive branded drugs.

Implementing Agency: ▪ Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI)

is the implementing agency for PMBJP.

▪ BPPI has been established under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, with the support of all the Pharma CPSUs.

▪ It seeks to coordinate procurement, supply and marketing of generic drugs through the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras.

▪ In April 2010, BPPI got registered as an independent society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 as a separate legal entity.

Objective: ▪ Making quality medicines available at

affordable prices for all, particularly the poor and disadvantaged, through exclusive outlets "Jan Aushadhi Kendras", so as to reduce out of pocket expenses in healthcare.

Who can open a Jan Aushadhi Kendras ? ▪ State Governments or any organization /

reputed NGOs / Trusts / Private hospitals / Charitable institutions / Doctors / Unemployed pharmacists/ individual

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entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for new Jan Aushadhi stores.

▪ The applicants shall have to employ one B Pharma / D Pharma degree holder as Pharmacist in their proposed store.

▪ They can be set up at any suitable place within Government hospital or Private hospital premises or anywhere outside the premises.

Why in News? ▪ Affordable Medicines worth about Rs 144

crore sold in March-May 2020 through Janaushadhi Kendras.

4) TRIFED Gs Paper 3 - Agriculture ; Gs Paper 2-

Government policies and interventions for development,Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections

About : ▪ The Tribal Cooperative Marketing

Development Federation of India (TRIFED) came into existence in 1987. It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

▪ TRIFED has its Head Office located in New Delhi and has a network of 13 Regional Offices located at various places in the country.

Objectives ▪ The ultimate objective of TRIFED is socio-

economic development of tribal people in the country by way of marketing development of the tribal products such as metal craft, tribal textiles, pottery, tribal paintings and pottery on which the tribals depend heavily for a major portion of their income.

▪ TRIFED acts as a facilitator and service provider for tribes to sell their product.

▪ The approach by TRIFED aims to empower tribal people with knowledge, tools and pool of information so that they can undertake their operations in a more systematic and scientific manner.

▪ It also involves capacity building of the tribal people through sensitization, formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and imparting training to them for undertaking a particular activity.

Main activities to TRIFED include:

▪ Retail Marketing Development ▪ Minor Forest Produce Marketing

Development ▪ Skill up-gradation & Capacity Building of

ST Artisans and MFP Gatherers ▪ R&D Development/Intellectual

Proprietary Rights (IPR) Activity Why in News? ▪ TRIFED has launched all out efforts to

support the tribal artisans in distress due to circumstances arising out of Covid-19.

▪ It has announced an aggressive plan through its TRIBES India retail and e-Com platforms (www.tribesindia.com) to help artisans kickstart their production and sales operations. Accordingly, TRIFED has re-opened all its outlets and e-Commerce portals to support tribal commerce.

5) Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Gs-Paper 3 Growth and Development,

Infrastructure Why in News? ▪ The Union Cabinet has given its approval

to rename Kolkata Port as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port.

Background : ▪ The Kolkata Port is the first Major Port

as well as the only riverine port of the country.

▪ It came to be governed by a Trust on 17th October, 1870 on appointment of the Commissioners for Improvement of the Port of Calcutta as per Act V of 1870.

▪ It features at Serial Number 1 in The First Schedule, Part I—Major Ports of the Indian Ports Act, 1908 and is governed by the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.

▪ Kolkata Port has traversed 150 years and in this journey it has been India's gateway to trade, commerce and economic development.

▪ It has also been a witness to India's struggle for independence, World Wars l & II and socio-cultural changes taking place in the country, especially in Eastern India.

▪ India has 13 major ports viz. Kolkata Port, Paradip Port, New Mangalore Port, Cochin Port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai Port, Kandla Port, Visakhapatnam Port, Chennai Port,

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Tuticorin port, Ennore Port, Mormugao Port and Port Blair Port.

Regulation of ports in India ▪ All Indian ports are regulated under the

Indian Ports Act, 1908. This Act defines the jurisdiction of central and state governments over ports, and lays down general rules for safety of shipping and conservation of port facilities.

▪ Major Ports ▪ Minor Ports

▪ A major port is one which is administered, maintained and developed by the Central Government through the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, except Ennore port, which is administered under the Companies Act 1956.

▪ The intermediate and minor ports fall under the Concurrent List, i.e., list III in the 7th Schedule of the Indian Constitution and are administratively under the control of the respective State Governments, the Centre providing technical assistance.

How are the Ports named? ▪ Generally, the Major Ports in India are

named after the city or the town in which they are situated. Some ports, however, in special cases or in due consideration of contributions made by eminent leaders have been re-named after great national leaders in the past.

▪ Nhava Sheva Port Trust was renamed as Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust by the Government in 1989.

▪ The Tuticorin Port Trust was renamed as V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust in the year 2011

▪ The Ennore Port Limited has been re-named as Kamarajar Port Limited in the honour of Shri K Kamarajar, eminent freedom fighter and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

▪ Recently, in 2017 Kandla Port was re-named as Deendayal Port.

About Syama Prasad Mookerjee :

▪ Syama Prasad Mukherjee (1901 – 1953) was an Indian politician, barrister and academician, who served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet.

▪ He quit the Union Government because of differences of opinion with the Nehru-led government and founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the predecessor to the Bharatiya Janata Party, in 1951.

▪ He was against the concept of J&K being a state within the state with its separate constitution, flag and prime minister. Mukherjee raised the slogan “Ek desh mein do Vidhan, do Pradhan aur Do Nishan nahi chalenge” (A single country can’t have two constitutions, two prime ministers and separate flag).

▪ Mukherjee strongly opposed Article 370, seeing it as a threat to national unity.

6) Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H)

Gs Paper 2- Government policies and interventions for development of health

About: ▪ Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian

Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India since 2010.

▪ The PCIM&H has a primary mandate of publishing Pharmacopoeias and Formularies for drugs/formulations used in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani (ASU) and Homoeopathy (ASU&H) systems of Medicine.

▪ The Commission serves as an umbrella organization for Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia Committee (APC), Siddha Pharmacopoeia Committee (SPC), Unani Pharmacopoeia Committee (UPC) and Homoeopathic Pharmacopeia Committee (HPC).

Why in News? ▪ Union Cabinet has given its approval to

re-establish Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) as Subordinate Office under Ministry of AYUSH.

News in Detail:

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▪ This is being done by merging into the Pharmacopoeia Laboratory for Indian Medicine (PLIM) and Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory (HPL) – the two central laboratories established at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh since 1975.

▪ The merger is aimed at optimising the use of resources of the three organizations for enhancing the standardisation outcomes of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs towards their effective regulation and quality control.

▪ It is also intended to accord legal status to the merged structure of PCIM&H and its laboratory by virtue of making amendments in the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945.

7) The Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP)

Gs Paper 2- Government policies and interventions for development ,Education,Skill Development .

About TULIP ▪ TULIP is a programme for providing

internship opportunities to fresh graduates in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Smart Cities across the country .The Ministry of Human Resource Development, MoS (I/C) Housing & Urban Affairs, and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) have jointly launched the online portal for TULIP.

News in Detail: ▪ TULIP has been conceived pursuant to the

Budget 2020-21 announcement by the Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman under the theme ‘Aspirational India’.

▪ It is expected that under the programme 25000 fresh graduates will receive the opportunity of internship in the first year itself.

Outcomes : ▪ TULIP would help enhance the value-to-

market of India’s graduates and help create a potential talent pool in diverse fields like urban planning, transport engineering, environment, municipal finance etc. not only catalyzing creation of prospective city managers but also talented private/ non-government sector professionals.

▪ TULIP would benefit Urban local bodies (ULBs) and smart cities immensely. It will lead to infusion of fresh ideas and energy with engagement of youth in co-creation of solutions for solving India’s urban challenges.

▪ It will further Government’s endeavors to boost community partnership and government- academia-industry-civil society linkages.

▪ Thus TULIP would help fulfill twin goals of providing interns with hands-on learning experience as well as infusing fresh energy and ideas in the functioning of India’s ULBs and Smart Cities.

What is a Smart City?

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▪ Smart Cities focus on their most pressing needs and on the greatest opportunities to improve lives.

▪ They tap a range of approaches - digital and information technologies, urban planning best practices, public-private partnerships, and policy change - to make a difference. They always put people first.

▪ In the approach to the Smart Cities Mission, the objective is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of 'Smart' Solutions.

▪ The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act like a lighthouse to other aspiring cities.

▪ The Smart Cities Mission is meant to set examples that can be replicated both within and outside the Smart City, catalysing the creation of similar Smart Cities in various regions and parts of the country.

Core Elements of Smart City: ▪ Adequate water supply, ▪ Assured electricity supply, ▪ Sanitation, including solid waste

management, ▪ Efficient urban mobility and public

transport, ▪ Affordable housing, especially for the

poor, ▪ Robust IT connectivity and digitalization, ▪ Good governance, especially e-

Governance and citizen participation, ▪ Sustainable environment, ▪ Safety and security of citizens,

particularly women, children and the elderly, and

▪ Health and education.

8) Atal Innovation Mission Gs Paper 2- Government policies and

interventions for development,GS paper 3- Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology

About Atal Innovation Mission ▪ Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is

Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.

▪ The Atal Innovation Mission has following two core functions:

▪ Entrepreneurship promotion through Self-Employment and Talent Utilization, wherein innovators would be supported and mentored to become successful entrepreneurs.

▪ Innovation promotion: to provide a platform where innovative ideas are generated.

The major initiatives of AIM are: ▪ Atal Tinkering Labs-Creating problem

solving mindset across schools in India. ▪ Atal Incubation Centers-Fostering world

class startups and adding a new dimension to the incubator model.

▪ Atal New India Challenges-Fostering product innovations and aligning them to the needs of various sectors/ministries.

▪ Mentor India Campaign- A national Mentor network in collaboration with the public sector, corporates and institutions, to support all the initiatives of the mission.

▪ Atal Community Innovation Center- To stimulate community centric innovation and ideas in the unserved /underserved regions of the country including Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

▪ ARISE-To stimulates innovation and research in the MSME industry.

Why in News? ▪ CSIR and Atal Innovation Mission sign a

Letter of Intent to Foster Innovation in the Country.

▪ About CSIR ▪ The Council of Scientific & Industrial

Research (CSIR), known for its cutting edge R&D knowledge base in diverse S&T areas, is a contemporary R&D organization. CSIR has a dynamic network of 38 national laboratories, 39 outreach centres, 3 Innovation Complexes and 5 units.

▪ CSIR covers a wide spectrum of streams – from radio and space physics, oceanography, geophysics, chemicals, drugs, genomics, biotechnology and nanotechnology to mining, aeronautics, instrumentation, environmental engineering and information technology.

▪ It provides significant technological intervention in many areas with regard to societal efforts which include environment,

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health, drinking water, food, housing, energy, farm and non-farm sectors.

▪ CSIR is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology and it operates as an autonomous body through the Societies Registration Act, 1860.

9) Institute of Eminence ▪ GS paper 3- Achievements of Indians in

Science & Technology About the scheme: ▪ The Institute of Eminence Scheme (IOE

Scheme) was announced in 2016 to improve the ranking of Indian higher educational institutions at the global level.

▪ Under this scheme, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) will select 20 IoEs — 10 public and 10 private and establish them as world class institutes in the country.

▪ These twenty institutions will be provided with greater autonomy, grants and special preferences.

Criteria For Selection Of Institutions: ▪ Institutions which are under the top fifty

in the National Institutional Ranking Framework are eligible for applying for IOE status, Or

▪ Top 500 in internationally recognised rankings like the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Features of IOE status: ▪ The 10 public institutions which will be

selected will get Rs 1,000 crore each from the HRD Ministry to achieve world-class status.

▪ The government will offer no financial assistance to the private institutions. For both private and public institutions, administrative autonomy will be given. Curriculum, course structure, fee structure, salary structure can be designed by themselves.

▪ Up to 25% of faculties can be hired from abroad, about 30% of students from abroad can be given admissions, almost 20% of the courses can be given online.

▪ There will be no restrictions from UGC in terms and services conditions as the scheme aims to promote administrative autonomy for the better innovation ecosystem.

▪ Apart from public and private, IOE status can be also given to greenfield institutions (Institution which is yet to start) for encouraging new players.

Why in News? ▪ The Union HRD Minister chaired a

meeting to review the progress of works sanctioned under the Institute of Eminence Scheme.

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News in DepthAIR NEWS

1) Vande Bharat Mission About Vande Bharat Mission ▪ It is India's major mission to evacuate

stranded Indians from other countries due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

▪ The Mission, which is focused on the Gulf and the South Asian regions, is expected to involve 64 flights, bringing back 15,000 nationals from different parts of the world through 14 Indian airports.

Why in News? ▪ The Ministry of External Affairs furnished

the latest details of the Vande Bharat mission recently.

2) PM SVANIDHI About the scheme ▪ It is a special micro-credit facility scheme

for providing affordable loans to street vendors.

▪ The scheme is aimed at enabling the street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to COVID-19 lockdown. Street vendors play a significant role in ensuring availability of the goods and services at affordable rates at the door-step of the city dwellers.

▪ The scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh street vendors, who had been vending on or before 24th March this year, in urban areas. The duration of the scheme is till March 2022.

▪ The street vendors belonging to the surrounding peri-urban or rural areas are being included as beneficiaries under the urban livelihoods programme for the first time.

News in detail ▪ The vendors can avail a working capital

loan of upto ten thousand rupees, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year. On timely and early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy at the rate of seven per cent per

annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on six monthly basis.

▪ If the vendor repay the instalments in time or earlier, they will develop his credible credit score that makes him eligible for a higher amount of term loan to 20 thousand rupees and so on.

▪ Urban Local Bodies will play a pivotal role in the implementation of the scheme.

▪ The lending institutions under the Scheme include Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Small Finance Banks, Cooperative Banks, NBFCs, Microfinance institutions and Self Help Group banks.

What’s in the news? ▪ The Ministry of Housing and Urban

Affairs has launched PM SVANIDHI - Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi.

3) SWADES initiative About the initiative ▪ The SWADES- Skilled Workers Arrival

Database for Employment Support- initiative aims to conduct a skill mapping exercise of the returning citizens under the Vande Bharat Mission.

▪ This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Civil Aviation Ministry and External Affairs Ministry.

▪ The objective is to create a database of qualified citizens based on their skill sets and experience to tap into and fulfil demand of Indian and foreign companies.

▪ The collected information will be shared with the companies for suitable placement opportunities in the country. The returning citizens are required to fill up an online SWADES Skills Card. The data collected through SWADES Skill Card will help the citizens with job prospects and bridge the demand-supply gap.

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What’s in the news? ▪ The Central Government has launched a

new initiative SWADES- Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support.

4) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program

About the scheme ▪ The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural

Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme is the largest social security scheme in the world — guaranteeing 100 days of work to any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work at the statutory minimum wage.

▪ The act makes it obligatory for the State to give rural households work on demand. In case such employment is not provided within 15 days of registration, the

applicant becomes eligible for an unemployment allowance.

▪ The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments.

▪ One-third of the stipulated workforce must be women.

▪ The employment will be provided within a radius of 5 km: if it is above 5 km extra wage will be paid.

▪ The wages are revised according to the Consumer Price Index-Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL).

▪ Work site facilities such as crèche, drinking water, shade have to be provided.

▪ Social Audit has to be done by the Gram Sabha

Why in News? ▪ Recently, the Assam government issued

19,000 new job cards under MGNREGA.

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THE HINDU EDITORIALS 1) Universal Basic Income and the

need for it now What is universal basic income? ▪ A basic income is a regular, periodic

cash payment delivered unconditionally to all citizens on an individual basis, without requirement of work or willingness to work.

▪ The five broad features of such schemes are:

o payments at periodic regular intervals (not one-off grants),

o payments in cash (not food vouchers or service coupons),

o payments to individuals, o universality, and o unconditionality(no prior condition) How UBI works? ▪ UBI would require subsumption of other

subsidies and allowances in order to free up resources so that a particular amount can be directed to people on a periodic basis.

Significance of Universal Basic Income: ▪ UBI envisages an uncompromised social

safety net that seeks to assure a dignified life for everyone, a concept that is expected to gain traction in a global economy afflicted by uncertainties on account of globalisation, technological change,automation and now the COVID-19 pandemic.

▪ The 2017 Economic Survey had flagged the UBI scheme as “a conceptually appealing idea” and a possible alternative to social welfare programmes targeted at bringing down poverty.

▪ Economist Milton Friedman has said UBI as a way of restoring individual choice and freedom and reigning in the influence of the state.

Need for UBI: ▪ Challenges with fourth industrial

revolution ▪ Disruptive technologies like artificial

intelligence ushers in productivity gains but steadily reduce human capital requirements.

▪ For example, Silicon Valley region is home to five of the world’s eight most valuable companies. These companies have a

cumulative market cap of over $4 trillion, yet they together directly employ just 1.2 million people.

▪ Tool to eradicate poverty ▪ Economics Nobel Laureates Peter

Diamond and Christopher Pissarides, and tech leaders Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk consider the universal basic income (UBI) programme to be a solution that could mitigate the developing crisis caused by reducing job opportunities and as an effective tool to eradicate poverty.

Why particularly now? ▪ The IMF has projected global growth in

2020 to be -3.0%, the worst since the Great Depression.

▪ India is projected to grow at 1.9% while the U.S. economy is expected to fall by 5.9% because of the effects of pandemic induced lockdown.

▪ With almost 90% of India’s workforce in the informal sector without minimum wages or social security, micro-level circumstances will be worse in India than anywhere else.

Global precedents ▪ Countries across the world, including

Kenya, Brazil, Finland, and Switzerland, have bought into this concept and have begun controlling UBI pilots to supplement their population.

Conclusion: ▪ Thus it is high time for India to

introduce unconditional regular payouts at maximum universality, at least till the economy normalises.

2) Fortifying the Africa Outreach Context: ▪ The COVID-19 pandemic effects stand to

be devastating particularly in Africa, where economic and public health conditions are extremely vulnerable. Although African countries moved quickly to curb the initial spread, they are still ill-equipped to cope with a public health emergency of such magnitude due to shortages of masks, ventilators, and even basic necessities such as soap and water. This implies the continuance of Africa’s chronic external aid dependence.

India and China come to play

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▪ As Asia’s two largest economies and long-standing partners of Africa, India and China have increased their outreach to Africa through medical assistance which are directed to fill a part of the growing African need.

Beijing’s donation diplomacy ▪ China, being Africa’s largest trading

partner, signalled its intent to help Africa cope with the pandemic.

o It dispatched medical protective equipment, testing kits, ventilators, and medical masks to several African countries.

o Chinese embassies across Africa have taken the lead by coordinating both public and private donations to local stakeholders.

o Consignments of anti corona supplies donated by chinese tech founders were mostly transported through ethiopian aircraft.

Objectives: o Beijing’s ‘donation diplomacy’ in Africa

aims to achieve three immediate objectives:

▪ shift the focus away from talking about the origins of the virus in Wuhan,

▪ build goodwill overseas, and ▪ to raise Beijing’s profile as a leading

provider of humanitarian assistance and “public goods” in the global public health sector.

How did it manage to achieve the objectives?

▪ China’s donation diplomacy towards Africa during COVID-19 has received mixed reactions, but Beijing’s advantage lies in its economic heft and political influence in Africa.

Importance of Africa to China ▪ China relies heavily on diplomatic

support and cooperation from African countries on key issues in multilateral fora.

▪ For example, Beijing used African support for securing a win for Chinese candidates as the head of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and in the World Health Organization (WHO).

New Delhi’s focus ▪ India’s developmental outreach has been

more evident in Africa with the continent

occupying a central place in Indian government’s foreign and economic policy in the last six years.

India’s developmental efforts in Africa ▪ Plans to open 18 new embassies

supplemented by an improved record of Indian project implementation in Africa.

▪ Pharmaceutical products along with refined petroleum products account for 40% of India’s total exports to African markets.

▪ India is sending consignments of essential medicines, including hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and paracetamol, to 25 African countries in addition to doctors and paramedics at a total cost of around ₹600 million ($7.9 million) on a commercial and grant basis.

▪ e-ITEC COVID-19 management strategies training webinars exclusively aimed at training health-care professionals from Africa and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations and sharing of best practices by Indian health experts.

▪ A few African countries such as Mauritius are pushing for health-care partnerships in traditional medicines and Ayurveda for boosting immunity.

▪ The Indian community, especially in East African countries, has also been playing a crucial role in helping spread awareness.

▪ Prominent Indian businessmen and companies in Nigeria and Kenya have donated money to the respective national emergency response funds.

▪ Country-specific chapters of gurdwaras and temples have fed thousands of families by setting up community kitchens, helplines for seniors and distributing disinfectants and sanitisers.

India- reliable global stakeholder ▪ Even with limited resources, India can

fight the virus at home while reaching out to developing countries in need is testament to India’s status as a responsible and reliable global stakeholder.

The contrasts ▪ Both India and China, through their

respective health and donation

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diplomacy, are trying to carve a space and position for themselves as reliable partners of Africa in its time of need. However there are significant differences in the approaches.

▪ For China, three aspects are critical: o money, political influence and elite

level wealth creation; o strong state-to-state relations as

opposed to people-to-people ties; and o Hard-infrastructure projects and

resource extraction. ▪ India’s approach on the other hand is one

that focuses on o Building local capacities and an equal

partnership with Africans and not merely with African elites concerned.

Conclusion: o As these two powers rise in Africa, their

two distinct models will come to play and both New Delhi and Beijing might find that they need to adapt to the rising aspirations of the African continent.

3) World Health Organisation and India’s Policy approach

Context: ▪ India (Minister of health and family

welfare) will be the chair of the executive body of the World health organisation i.e., World health assembly.

Recent controversy ▪ U.S. President Donald Trump wrote a

letter to the WHO Director General, threatening to make permanent his temporary funding freeze as well as reconsider the U.S’s membership in the organisation if the latter did not commit to major substantive reforms within 30 days.

▪ By contrast, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $2 billion to fight the virus, pair up 30 African hospitals with domestic counterparts, accelerate the building of the AfricaCenters for Disease Control headquarters, and ensure that vaccine development in China, when available, would be made a global public good.

India’s needed policy approach ▪ India must insist that epidemic

prevention and control remain the international community's foremost priority.

▪ To identify the animal to human transmission origins of SARSCoV2.

▪ India should lean on the WHO secretariat to fast track the “impartial, independent, and comprehensive review” of the WHO’s – and China’s – early response to the outbreak.

▪ The review’s findings should illuminate best practice and highlight areas for improvement, both in theWHO’s leadership and capacity as well as member states’ implementation of the International Health Regulations.

▪ India must promote the establishment of an appropriate multilateral governance mechanism for ensuring equitable access to COVID19 therapeutics and vaccines for all countries.

▪ (World Trade Organization’s intellectual property rights provisions can be overridden as is allowed during a public health emergency to assure affordable vaccine availability).

▪ India must lead the call for a permanent global ban on the consumption and trade of wild animals, with limited exceptions built in for scientific research, species protection and traditional livelihood interests. With two thirds of emerging infections and diseases now arising from wildlife, the destruction of natural habitats and biodiversity loss must be taken much more seriously.

▪ India must stay aloof from the West’s campaign to reseat Taiwan as an observer at the WHA.

▪ ( UN considers Taiwan as integral part of china)

4) Free electricity to farm Why in the news? ▪ Recently the union government gave a

conditionality to the state for extended borrowing in times of COVID 19.

Condition ▪ The Centre has prescribed that the free

power supply scheme should be replaced with the direct benefits transfer (DBT) as a condition to allow States to increase their borrowing limit.

Arguments against power subsidy

Exploitation of resources ▪ The scheme has led to widespread

wastage of water and electricity.

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▪ India is the largest user of groundwater at 251 billion cubic meters, exceeding the combined withdrawal by China and the U.S.

Pumpsets in areas of depleted groundwater

▪ In parts of the Cauvery delta in Tamil Nadu or Sangrur district of Punjab, the rate of depletion of groundwater table is worrisome.

▪ To sustain their activity, farmers need to go for submersible or high capacity pumpsets.

Installation of more pumpsets ▪ The extension of the scheme to different

States over the years has only encouraged installation of more pumpsets.

▪ Karnataka is a classic example where the number of irrigation pump sets, which was around 17lakh 12 years ago, is now around 30 lakh.

Misuse of the scheme ▪ There is misuse of the scheme for which

not just a section of farmers but also field officials have to be blamed.

Failure to measure consumption accurately

▪ In the absence of meters for these connections or segregation of feeders or metering of distribution transformers, accurate measurement of consumption becomes tricky.

▪ Those incharge of power distribution companies find it convenient to reduce their aggregate technical and commercial losses by clubbing a portion of the losses with energy consumption by the farm sector.

Argument for free power ▪ Ensures food security ▪ Free power provides livelihood

opportunities to landless workers. ▪ When farmers dependent on supplies

through canals get water almost free of cost.

Way forward: ▪ Those enjoying free power need to be told

about the need for judicious use of groundwater and how to conserve it.

5) Alternative Protein Context:

▪ The emerging concept of planetary health characterises impacts of human-caused disruptions of Earth’s ecological systems. In this context, COVID-19 seems to be a direct consequence of anthropogenic impacts on the planet which can be better explained through the link in the food system, and particularly in our reliance on animals for protein.

About factory farming ▪ Factory farming is an unsustainable

method of raising food animals that concentrates large numbers of animals into confined spaces.

▪ Hazards of factory farming ▪ Large-scale, industrial animal agriculture

for meat, eggs, and dairy creates and exacerbates planetary health risks.

▪ Scientists at the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization estimate that it is “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems.”

▪ Our need for animal protein uses vast tracts of land and quantities of water to raise those animals, to graze them, and to grow crops to feed them. It contributes more to climate change than emissions from the entire transportation sector.

▪ Wild and farmed seafood production also causes significant environmental degradation, species loss, and habitat destruction.

Embracing the alternatives ▪ Expert voices ranging from the Food and

Land Use Coalition, to the World Health Organization, to the EAT-Lancet Commission have all identified that diversifying protein sources away from animals is a hugely neglected intervention for human and planetary health.

About alternative proteins ▪ 'Alternative proteins' is a general term

that covers plant-based and food-technology alternatives to animal protein.

▪ All over the world, companies in the exciting ‘alternative protein’ sector are making upgraded versions of meat, eggs, and dairy from plant or crop ingredients, or directly from animal cells.

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Advantages ▪ These foods satisfy consumers and

producers without taking away their choice

▪ They taste the same and are used in exactly the same way

▪ Better for planetary health. Global precedents ▪ Countries like Singapore and Canada are

already making alternative protein, the centre of their food security measures

with an emphasis on research, entrepreneurship, and self-sufficiency.

Way forward: ▪ We need to build upon our strengths in

agriculture and in manufacturing to create a new food system that works for farmers and is robust to systemic shocks.

▪ Food security and agricultural income being our nation’s major challenges in the coming years, turning this crisis into an opportunity by stimulating research and entrepreneurship in alternative proteins is need of the hour.

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INDIAN EXPRESS EXPLAINED 1) India-China Border issues Background ▪ The disputed boundary between India

and China, also known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC), is divided into three sectors: viz. Western (Ladakh, Kashmir), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).

▪ The countries disagree on the exact location of the LAC in various areas, so much so that India claims that the LAC is

3,488 km long while the Chinese believe it to be around 2,000 km long.

Johnson Line ▪ The boundary dispute in the Western

Sector pertains to the Johnson Line proposed by the British in the 1860s which put Aksai Chin in the then princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.

▪ Independent India used the Johnson Line and claimed Aksai Chin as its own. However, China stated that it had never acceded to the Johnson Line and refused to cede Aksai Chin to India.

Middle Sector ▪ In the Middle Sector, the dispute is a

minor one. It is the only one where India and China have exchanged maps on which they broadly agree.

McMahon Line ▪ The disputed boundary in the Eastern

Sector of the India-China border is over the McMahon Line.

▪ Representatives of China, India and Tibet in 1913-14 met in Shimla, where an agreement was proposed to settle the boundary between Tibet and India, and Tibet and China.

▪ Though the Chinese representatives at the meeting initialled the agreement, they subsequently refused to accept it claiming that Tibet is not a sovereign nation and thus the McMahon Line has no legal standing.

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▪ At the heart of boundary dispute is the issue of Arunachal Pradesh, which China describes as 'Southern Tibet'.

How is the LAC different from the Line of Control with Pakistan?

▪ The LoC emerged from the 1948 ceasefire line negotiated by the UN after the Kashmir War.

▪ It was designated as the LoC in 1972, following the Shimla Agreement between the two countries.

▪ It is delineated on a map signed by Director General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both armies and has the international sanctity of a legal agreement.

▪ The LAC, in contrast, is only a concept – it is not agreed upon by the two countries, neither delineated on a map nor demarcated on the ground.

Mechanism to prevent border flare-ups ▪ The two countries engaged in Confidence

Building Measures (CBMs) on the border with bilateral agreements signed in 1993, 1996, 2005, 2012 and 2013.

▪ During Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to China in 2003, the two sides agreed on the appointment of special representatives for consultations aimed at arriving at a framework for a boundary settlement that would provide the basis for the delineation and demarcation of the border.

▪ In October 2013, the two sides signed the Boundary Defence Cooperation Agreement to prevent any flare up along the un-demarcated border. This encompasses both military level and diplomat level dialogue mechanism.

Why in News? ▪ Indian and Chinese armies rushed in

additional troops in areas around Pangong Tso lake in eastern Ladakh, after recent clashes between the soldiers of both sides.

▪ The LAC mostly passes on the land, but Pangong Tso is a unique case where it passes through the water as well. The points in the water at which the Indian claim ends and Chinese claim begins are not agreed upon mutually.

▪ Most of the clashes between the two armies occur in the disputed portion of the lake.

Reasons for chinese move: ▪ Increasing infrastructure competition

along LAC o The spark for the current stand-off with

China, with the ongoing face-off situations in the Galwan River valley, Pangong Lake and other areas, is the increasing infrastructure competition along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)

▪ Increasing chinese assertiveness o China appears to be asserting itself along

the LAC in the Western sector which is more similar to the 2013 and 2014 border stand-offs between China and India.

▪ Strategic considerations o China could be responding to the

deterioration of China-India ties amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Way forward: ▪ The lack of a formal agreement

regarding the location of the LAC will ensure that future incidents and crises are bound to recur. Thus, reaching such a formal agreement even if the underlying territorial dispute cannot be resolved is more necessary than ever before.

Pangong Tso ▪ Pangong Tso is a long narrow, deep,

endorheic (landlocked) lake situated at a height of more than 14,000 ft in the Ladakh Himalayas.

▪ The brackish water lake freezes over in winter.

2) Inner Line Permit and its CAA context

What is Inner Line? ▪ The Inner line is a concept drawn by

colonial rulers, which separated the tribal-populated hill areas in the Northeast from the plains.

Inner Line Permit System: ▪ An Inner Line Permit is a document that

allows an Indian citizen to visit or stay in a state that is protected under the ILP system.

▪ Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram are protected by the Inner Line, and lately Manipur was added.

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▪ No Indian citizen can visit any of these states unless he or she belongs to that state, nor can he or she overstay beyond the period specified in the ILP.

Who issues ILP? ▪ An ILP is issued by the state

government concerned. ▪ It can be obtained after applying either

online or physically. ▪ It states the dates of travel and also

specifies the particular areas in the state which the ILP holder can travel to.

Background: ▪ The concept originates from the Bengal

Eastern Frontier Regulation Act (BEFR), 1873.

▪ Under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873, the British framed regulations restricting the entry and regulating the stay of outsiders in designated areas.

▪ This was to protect the Crown’s own commercial interests by preventing “British subjects” (Indians) from trading within these regions.

▪ After Independence, the Indian government replaced “British subjects” with “Citizen of India”.

▪ This was to address concerns about protecting the interests of the indigenous people from outsiders belonging to other Indian states.

How is it connected to the Citizenship Amendment Act?

▪ The Citizenship (Amendment) Act aims to make it easier for non-Muslim refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan to obtain Indian citizenship.

▪ It has been implemented with provisions for excluding from its ambit the states under the ILP regime, it means that beneficiaries under CAB will become Indian citizens but will not be able to settle in these states.

▪ Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland are not among those drastically affected by migration from Bangladesh.

▪ The three states that have seen the highest migration, however, are Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya, none of which has an ILP system.

What does the Citizenship Amendment Act,2019 say?

▪ The Act had mandated that those who cross the border to India from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and belong to “minority communities”, namely, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, would not be treated as illegal immigrants despite having entered the country without valid documents or with travel papers that had expired.

▪ The amendment shortened the period of residency from 12 to seven years for gaining citizenship by naturalisation.

▪ It had also empowered the government to cancel registration as Overseas Citizen of India in case of any violation of the Citizenship Act or any other laws.

Why in the news? ▪ Two Assam students' unions have

approached the Supreme Court to include the state in the inner-line system to protect them from the effect of Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

3) Essential Commodities Act and need for its amendment:

Why in the news? ▪ The Union Cabinet has approved an

ordinance to amend The Essential Commodities Act, 1955, to deregulate commodities such as cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes

Essential Commodities Act: What is the amendment

▪ The ordinance has introduced a new subsection (1A) in Section 3 of The Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

▪ The amended law provides a mechanism for the “regulation” of agricultural foodstuffs, namely cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, potato, and supplies under extraordinary circumstances, which include extraordinary price rise, war, famine, and natural calamity of a severe nature.

What is the definition of an ‘essential commodity’

▪ There is no specific definition of essential commodities in The EC Act. Section 2(A) of the act states that an “essential commodity” means a

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commodity specified in the “Schedule” of this Act.

▪ The Act gives powers to the central government to add or remove a commodity in the “Schedule.”

▪ The Centre, if it is satisfied that it is necessary to do so in public interest, can notify an item as essential, in consultation with state governments.

▪ At present, the “Schedule” contains 9 commodities

o drugs; o fertilisers, whether inorganic, organic or

mixed; o foodstuffs, including edible oils; o hank yarn made wholly from cotton; o petroleum and petroleum products; o raw jute and jute textiles; o seeds of food-crops and seeds of fruits

and vegetables, o seeds of cattle fodder, jute seed, cotton

seed; o face masks; and hand sanitisers. ▪ The latest items added to this schedule

are face masks and hand sanitisers, which were declared essential commodities with effect from March 13, 2020 in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak.

▪ By declaring a commodity as essential, the government can control the production, supply, and distribution of that commodity, and impose a stock limit.

How and under what circumstances can the government impose stock limits?

▪ Under the amended EC Act, agri-food stuffs can only be regulated under extraordinary circumstances such as war, famine, extraordinary price rise, and natural calamity.

o However, any action on imposing stock limits will be based on the price trigger.

▪ In case of horticultural produce, a 100 per cent increase in the retail price of the commodity over the immediately preceding 12 months or the average retail price of the last five years, whichever is

lower, will be the trigger for invoking the stock limit for such commodities.

▪ For non-perishable agricultural foodstuffs, the price trigger will be a 50 per cent increase in the retail price of the commodity over the immediately preceding 12 months or the average retail price of the last five years, whichever is lower.

▪ However, exemptions from stock-holding limits will be provided to processors and value chain participants of any agricultural produce, and orders relating to the Public Distribution System.

So, why was an amendment needed in The EC Act?

▪ The EC Act was legislated at a time when the country was facing scarcity of foodstuffs due to persistent low levels of foodgrain production.

▪ The country was dependent on imports and assistance (such as wheat import form US under PL-480) to feed the population.

▪ Thus to stop the hoarding and black marketing of foodstuffs, The Essential Commodities Act was enacted in 1955.

Changes overtime: ▪ A note prepared by the Ministry of

Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution shows that production of wheat has increased by 10 times (from less than 10 million tonnes in 1955-56 to more than 100 million tonnes in 2018-19); during the same period, the production of rice has increased more than four times from around 25 million tonnes to 110 million tonnes.

▪ The production of pulses has increased by 2.5 times, from 10 million tonnes to 25 million tonnes.

▪ India has now become an exporter of several agricultural products.

▪ With these developments, the EC Act has become anachronistic.

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